Who Should I Start? Cooper Rush or Tua Tagovailoa

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.

Friday, July 11, 7:16 PM

While it's probably unlikely, The Athletic's Jim Ayello points out there's a chance that the 2025 season is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's last year with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins aren't in a pretty salary-cap situation moving forward, so if they have a five- or six-win season this year, it's possible that ownership decides it's time for a hard reset. It's quite possible that Miami's decision-makers going into next year think that Tua's concussion history and limitations as a pocket passer don't make him an ideal franchise signal-caller. The former first-rounder's value, both in fantasy and real life, all depend on his health and what he can produce in 2025. If the Dolphins were to cut Tagovailoa after this year, it would come with a hefty $79 million dead-cap hit. There's bounce-back potential for Tua and the Dolphins offense, but fantasy managers shouldn't be taking him as anything more than a QB2 with upside.