Who Should I Start? Josh Johnson or Graham Mertz

Saturday, August 9, 9:49 AM

Well-traveled Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson completed 15 of 22 passes for a game-high 173 yards with one touchdown and an interception on Friday against the New England Patriots. Jayden Daniels is the no-doubt starter for Washington with Marcus Mariota also in the fold as the likely backup, leaving Johnson and Sam Hartman competing for the third spot. Hartman struggled while the 38-year-old Johnson proved to be the more effective of the two, at least in the opener. Washington will next take on Cincinnati on Aug. 18.

Monday, August 25, 6:32 AM

Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.