Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Jalen Hurts

Tuesday, January 6, 12:56 PM

The Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Kirk Cousins agreed to tweak the final two years of the QB's contract on Tuesday, setting the stage for a decision on his future to be made by the third day of the new league year on March 13, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. Cousins now has a guarantee for $67.9 million for the 2027 season that will vest on March 13. The restructure also includes reducing Cousins' 2026 base salary from a non-guaranteed $35 million to just $2.1 million. Atlanta's front office is in flux following the firing of general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday, but the Falcons could still move on from Cousins before March 13 as a post-June 1 release. A release of that kind would split the dead money on Cousins' contract over 2026 and 2027, as opposed to the team taking on the full amount in 2026. The 37-year-old played in 10 games this season, including starting the final seven following Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending knee injury. Cousins was serviceable, throwing 10 TDs and five interceptions, but he probably isn't in the team's long-term plans at the position.

Thursday, January 8, 10:47 AM

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hopes to lead the Eagles to back-to-back Super Bowl titles this season. Hurts was solid in the regular season, throwing for 3,224 yards, a career-high 25 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions (the fewest among any full-time starting quarterback in the NFL). The Eagles' offense has regressed under offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, dropping from the seventh-ranked scoring offense in 2024 to 19th this season. While the offense has struggled this season, the Eagles are still hosting the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round, a team that struggled against the pass toward the end of the season. In what could be a high-scoring affair, Hurts is among the top quarterbacks in fantasy this week and could be a great value against the injury-plagued 49ers' defense.