Who Should I Start? C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson Sr.

Tuesday, January 20, 12:30 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half of the Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots, becoming just the second QB since 1991 to throw four picks in a playoff half. The No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL draft has rapidly regressed since his impressive rookie season. The Texans are expected to pick up his fifth-year option, but so far, the Texans are non-committal on a long-term contract extension for Stroud. Under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley in 2025, Stroud completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Despite having three playoff wins in his three seasons, Stroud has just five TDs with six interceptions and seven fumbles (two lost) in the postseason. Stroud said he was still "getting adjusted" to the new offense this year. Perhaps he'll be better in 2026 if Caley sticks around as the OC, but for fantasy purposes, Stroud has become a QB2 instead of a legitimate QB1 option.

Friday, January 16, 5:32 PM

When asked if quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) had a role on the team next season, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen was non-committal while referring to Richardson's eye injury that caused him to end the year on Injured Reserve, according to The Athletic's James Boyd. General manager Chris Ballard also openly theorized about Riley Leonard being the backup in 2026 if Richardson "doesn't get to where we think he can be." Boyd assumes that the Colts won't want to pick up Richardson's fifth-year option, since the former fourth overall pick in 2023 has played in just 15 games in his first three years due to various injuries. The 23-year-old is still recovering from an orbital fracture that affected the vision in his right eye. When healthy, A-Rich hasn't sustained a high level of play for the Colts, which is why they brought in Daniel Jones (Achilles) in 2025.