Who Should I Start? Jameis Winston or Taylor Heinicke

Friday, December 20, 3:08 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (shoulder) is considered questionable to suit up on Sunday to face the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16. Winston was benched in the Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after uncorking three more interceptions and is now dealing with a sore right shoulder. The Browns announced earlier this week that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start this weekend against the Bengals, so if Winston is available, he'll serve as the backup. If he doesn't get the green light, former New England Patriots QB Bailey Zappe would be DTR's backup. The 30-year-old Winston initially gave the offense a jolt when Deshaun Watson (Achilles) went down with a season-ending injury, but in the end, his turnover-prone ways were too much to overcome. With Winston heading into free agency after the season, this will be DTR's show in the final three games.

Wednesday, August 28, 8:22 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers are acquiring quarterback Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Not only is starting quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) recovering from plantar fasciitis in his foot, but backup Easton Stick regressed in training camp and the preseason. The 31-year-old Heinicke will be an upgrade at the QB position behind Herbert entering the regular season next week. In Atlanta, the Falcons were expected all along to try and trade Heinicke after taking rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the first round in April. Heinicke made his NFL debut back in 2017 with the Houston Texans and has appeared in 38 games (29 starts) since then with four different teams. His best year came in 2021 with Washington, when he threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 picks on 321 pass attempts over 16 games (15 starts).