Who Should I Start? Gardner Minshew II or J.J. McCarthy

Thursday, March 13, 6:52 PM

Free agent quarterback Gardner Minshew reached a two-year agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news. The amount of the deal has yet to be disclosed. Just one season after the Las Vegas Raiders inked Minshew to a two-year $25 million contract, he'll join his fifth squad after being selected by Jacksonville in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. With the release of former Chief Carson Wentz, the 28-year-old will slot in as the backup to new teammate Patrick Mahomes. The Washington State product never panned out consistently as a starter. Still, he's one of the better second-string options in the league and provides a skillset similar to Mahomes with his mobility. Kansas City has yet to make a groundbreaking acquisition in 2025, but they've picked up some essential depth pieces nonetheless.

Wednesday, May 7, 9:26 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell didn't really acknowledge whether former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) will face competition for the starting job in 2025. "J.J. is going to be in a great position to assume and ascend in our organization," O'Connell said on The Rich Eisen Show. "But right now, we really don't have any feelings on competition as much as we've got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase." Sam Howell and Brett Rypien are the other options in the QB room. O'Connell did say that McCarthy is "owning it" this offseason and will get plenty of reps with the starters. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, but he's fully expected to be ready for the start of 2025. O'Connell said he's seen a difference in McCarthy's footwork, rhythm, timing and cadence from a year ago. The Vikes like him a lot, so he's expected to be the starter in Week 1, where he'll be a low-end QB2 in fantasy with upside.