Who Should I Start? Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota

Monday, January 13, 4:36 PM

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said on Monday that he still has a high level of confidence in quarterback Derek Carr. In his second season in New Orleans, Carr missed the final four games of the season due to a concussion and broken hand and missed a total of seven games due to injury in total. In the 10 starts that Carr did make, he completed 67.7% of his 279 pass attempts for a career-low 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The four-time Pro Bowler has played in only 17 games in his two seasons in the Big Easy and carries an absurd $51 million salary cap hit in 2025. The 33-year-old doesn't have any guaranteed money left on the final two years of his deal, but it will still be tough for the Saints to move on given his salary cap hit. Carr's $30 million base salary and $10 million roster bonus for 2025 will kick in in the middle of March, so we should have more clarity by then.

Sunday, January 5, 4:15 PM

Washington Commanders Marcus Mariota led the Commanders to a thrilling victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Mariota replaced Jayden Daniels at the start of the second half. With the Commanders already locked into a playoff spot, they opted to protect their rookie QB. However, this victory pushed them up to the No.6 seed in the NFC. Over the final two quarters, Mariota went 15-for-18 with 161 yards and two touchdowns. He added 56 yards and a score on five carries. He found Zach Ertz on a five-yard strike late in the third quarter. Then in the fourth, Mariota punched in a score at the goal line and would then find his top wideout Terry McLaurin on a game-winning five-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds. Mariota also saw time in Week 7 against the Panthers when Daniels left early with a rib injury. He was sharp in that game as well going 18-for-23 with 205 yards and two scores.