Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or J.J. McCarthy

Friday, October 31, 11:35 AM

The Athletic's Josh Kendall reports that the Atlanta Falcons have yet to have "any serious trade discussions with another team," regarding quarterback Kirk Cousins ahead of next Tuesday's trade deadline. Cousins has been the speculation of quarterback-needy teams, although his recent performance in a blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins likely didn't help his case. As it stands, Atlanta is likely to hold both the veteran and second-year pro Michael Penix Jr. (knee). However, Kendall notes that doesn't mean Cousins is a long-term fit for the team. He figures to resume backup duties behind Penix Jr. once the latter is fully recovered from his knee injury. That's likely to change following the 2025 season.

Wednesday, November 12, 6:08 PM

Updating a previous report, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand) was officially limited in practice on Wednesday, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. McCarthy had some swelling in his right throwing hand after hitting it on a helmet during Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. While the second-year signal-caller may be a bit limited in practice this week as a result, he's fully expected to play this Sunday against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The 22-year-old former first-rounder finished 20-for-42 passing for a career-high 248 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in the Week 10 loss to the Ravens. McCarthy started strong but struggled to put drives together after the first quarter. He has shown upside in his first four NFL games in 2025 after missing all of 2024 with a knee injury. However, fantasy managers hoping for more for the rest of this year must be willing to live with the ups and downs as he continues to develop.