Who Should I Start? Carson Wentz or Sam Darnold

Wednesday, March 19, 2:33 PM

Veteran free-agent quarterback Carson Wentz and the Cleveland Browns have a mutual interest in bringing him in as their bridge quarterback, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Wentz spent the last two seasons as a backup for the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams following seven years as a primary starter with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, and Washington Commanders. Overall, the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State has thrown for 22,410 yards, 153 touchdowns, and 67 interceptions in 98 career games. While Wentz is unlikely to emerge as a legitimate NFL starter again, he could provide average quarterback play for Cleveland in 2025 as they search for a new franchise QB following Deshaun Watson's disastrous tenure with the organization. According to Cabot, Wentz could be the backup plan if the Browns do not sign Russell Wilson.

Thursday, June 19, 12:24 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had a career year in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season games to lead Minnesota to a 14-3 record. However, the former third overall pick in 2018 finished on a sour note in his final two games and knows he must prove himself again in 2025 with a new team. Darnold has familiarity with new Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak from their one year together in San Fran in 2023, but the move from Minnesota to Seattle is definitely a downgrade in terms of overall offense and the weapons he'll have in Seattle. The 28-year-old was excellent throwing downfield in 2024, but it helped to have one of the best receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting a repeat of 2024, when Darnold finished as the QB9.