Who Should I Start? Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota

Friday, February 23, 2:00 PM

The New Orleans Saints restructured quarterback Derek Carr's contract on Friday for salary cap purposes, a move that was expected to give the team around $23 million in cap relief for the 2024 season, according to sources. Carr is due $30 million in base salary this year, so converting a portion of that into a signing bonus provides immediate savings. The 32-year-old veteran signal-caller is under contract with the Saints through 2026. In his first year in the Big Easy, he threw for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions while amazingly not missing a single game despite suffering multiple concussions, cracked ribs and a shoulder sprain. Carr is as tough as they come and can give fantasy managers low-end QB1 lines on occasion, but he's best drafted as a fantasy backup.

Tuesday, March 12, 11:07 AM

Free-agent quarterback Marcus Mariota is signing a one-year, $6 million deal worth up to $10 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2015 is set to join his fifth team after five years with the Tennessee Titans, two years with the Las Vegas Raiders, and one year a piece with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. In 90 games (74 starts), Mariota has passed for 15,820 yards, 93 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions. He's added over 2,000 yards and 17 scores on the ground. He's set to join a quarterback room that already has Sam Howell, and the Commanders are likely to take a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 2 overall pick. That said, Mariota will likely be competing for the backup job, though some teams choose to start a veteran early in the season as they ease a rookie into action. Mariota slightly enters the two-QB and Superflex league fantasy radar for 2024.