Who Should I Start? Jake Browning or J.J. McCarthy

Tuesday, October 7, 11:19 AM

According to Cincinnati Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the team's internal options at quarterback are "not in consideration" to replace current starter Jake Browning in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. As such, any potential replacement would have to come from outside the building. In three starts since replacing Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) under center, Browning has thrown for 516 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions while leading the team to an 0-3 record. However, it does not appear Cincinnati has confidence in current backup QB Brett Rypien or practice squad QB options Mike White and Sean Clifford. Most likely, Browning will be the signal-caller in a difficult Week 6 matchup against the Packers.

Tuesday, January 13, 2:54 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he wants a competitive situation at quarterback going into next season, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. O'Connell said McCarthy "is going to be a major emphasis," but "the competition in that room will only enhance the entire team." The Vikings want McCarthy to seize the starting job, but he's going to have to earn it and play better than he did in 2026, and the Vikings are fully expected to add to their QB room to push McCarthy this offseason. The 22-year-old former first-round signal-caller missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to a knee injury that required surgery. McCarthy missed time with multiple injuries in 2025 and struggled with turnovers and efficiency when he was on the field, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 starts. Fantasy managers will want to see improvement from the Michigan product before considering him as anything more than a low-end QB2 option with upside.