Who Should I Start? Jared Goff or J.J. McCarthy

Friday, August 8, 2:31 PM

In the Detroit Lions' second preseason game on Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, starting quarterback Jared Goff will not suit up, giving third-year signal-caller Hendon Hooker the start. Kyle Allen made the start in the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers and played the entire first half. Allen and Hooker, who went 3-for-6 for 18 yards, combined to throw three interceptions in the opener, so head coach Dan Campbell is looking for better communication, execution and ball movement on Friday. Allen and Hooker are in a close competition to be Goff's backup entering the 2025 season, according to Lions beat writer Tim Twentyman. If Hooker can get off to a good start against Atlanta and keep the offense moving, he could separate himself from Allen a bit in the backup competition this summer.

Thursday, August 14, 9:39 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had his "best practice of camp" on Thursday and impressed with both his consistency and accuracy, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Lewis notes that McCarthy had a stretch of practice where he completed 13 straight passes and threw for six touchdowns. The 22-year-old former first-round pick is preparing for his first year as an NFL starter after missing his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus in his knee. McCarthy will likely experience some growing pains, but he has a lot of playmaking talent around him in Minnesota and an excellent play-calling head coach in Kevin O'Connell. He profiles as a mid-tier QB2 in fantasy, but he's got more upside than some of the other quarterbacks being drafted in his range.