Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Jarrett Stidham

Thursday, July 10, 1:51 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said in an episode of the Netflix series "Quarterback" that he felt "a little bit misled" when the Falcons took Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. It came just after Atlanta signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed to be their starter in 2024 and beyond. "I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high," Cousins said. The 36-year-old led the team to a 6-3 start before injuring his right shoulder. After that, the Falcons lost four straight games, with Cousins throwing eight interceptions and no touchdowns in that stretch. He was eventually benched in Week 16 for Penix, who heads into 2025 as the unquestioned starter, with Cousins backing him up. Cousins could get traded during training camp, but for now he's useless in fantasy as a backup.

Sunday, March 9, 9:09 PM

The NFL's Ian Rapoport reports that the Denver Broncos are bringing back quarterback Jarrett Stidham on a two-year $12 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons with the team, appearing in seven games. However, he did not attempt a pass in 2024 and served solely as a backup to rookie sensation Bo Nix. Stidham figures to occupy that role again in 2025 -- barring Nix's health -- and reportedly would have garnered significant interest as a potential backup on the open market. However, the Broncos sought to lock up their second-string option with extensive knowledge of the team's current system. The Auburn product can be safely avoided for fantasy purposes sans a bench stash in deep superflex dynasty formats.