Who Should I Start? Cooper Rush or Sam Howell

Wednesday, June 25, 12:10 PM

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush struggled during offseason workouts and put the ball in harm's way far too often as he learns a new offense, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. Rush was thrust into a starter's role during OTAs with Lamar Jackson missing all but one of the team's nine practice sessions, which shortened his learning curve. The former Dallas Cowboy signal-caller will be Baltimore's No. 2 QB with second-year quarterback Devin Leary competing for a spot on the practice squad. If Jackson misses time due to injury during the 2025 regular season, the Ravens will surely be hoping that Rush has cleaned up some of the mistakes that he's showing early on as he learns the offense. The 31-year-old started nine games for Dallas in 2024 with Dak Prescott injured and threw for 12 TDs and four interceptions. He has the experience but lacks the mobility that Jackson has in spades.

Tuesday, June 17, 12:11 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Howell was usually the second QB to rotate into team drills during offseason workouts behind J.J. McCarthy, which suggests that Howell is the front-runner for the No. 2 job. However, nothing he did this spring indicated that he will push McCarthy to start in 2025, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "He's kind of like J.J.," head coach Kevin O'Connell said, "where he's made some throws where you're like, 'Man, probably shouldn't have made that throw. But I now know on this play, I've got to be careful of this.' And it's all growth." Behind Howell is Brett Rypien and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. The Vikings acquired Howell in a trade this offseason with Seattle. The former fifth-rounder by the Commanders has completed 62.6% of his passes for 4,139 yards, 22 touchdowns and 23 picks in 20 games (18 starts) in his three NFL seasons.