Who Should I Start? J.J. McCarthy or Jaxson Dart

Tuesday, February 17, 9:50 AM

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy's lack of availability through his first two NFL seasons is the Minnesota Vikings' "foremost concern," according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. McCarthy has played in 29% of the team's regular-season games since he was drafted in the first round in the spring of 2024. The 23-year-old has dealt with a torn meniscus in his knee, a sprained ankle, a concussion, and hand and finger injuries. Durability concerns are the primary reason why Minnesota is seeking QB insurance behind McCarthy going into the 2026 season. But injuries aren't the only reason for the Vikings to be concerned. Outside of a four-game stretch to close last season, McCarthy's overall body of work ranked at the bottom among all qualified QBs. The team removed most of its over-the-middle passing concepts last season to keep McCarthy's line of sight as simple as possible. It's clear McCarthy is still developing after missing his entire rookie campaign, but if he doesn't show improvement soon, he could be looking at losing the franchise QB title sooner than later.

Tuesday, February 17, 6:42 AM

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer believes that New York Giants new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will be a positive influence on young quarterback Jaxson Dart's development. Breer references Nagy's work with QB Alex Smith in Kansas City back in 2017, using many spread-offense elements to maximize Smith and to help develop Patrick Mahomes. "All the movement stuff the Chiefs were doing that year, in theory, should apply organically to Dart's physical skill set." Although KC's offense grew a bit stagnant in 2025 under Nagy, the Chiefs ranked 10th in offensive success rate and EPA per play during Nagy's three seasons as the offensive coordinator. Despite playing in only 14 games in his rookie year, Dart was the QB14 in fantasy with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions while running for 487 yards and an additional nine TDs. With high-end playmakers in the backfield and at receiver, the sky is the limit for Dart going forward as long as his aggressive running style doesn't lead to injuries.