Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Justin Herbert

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.

Sunday, January 11, 4:30 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is well-rested coming into Wild Card Weekend after he sat out Week 18 against the Denver Broncos. Now, the Chargers open their playoff run with a road game against the AFC East champion New England Patriots. When Herbert last played 15 days ago against the Texans, He tallied 236 passing yards, 37 rushing yards, and one touchdown. However, he also took five sacks and threw an interception in that four-point loss. The interceptions have become a worrisome trend for Herbert, who has been picked off in four of his last five games. He also has five total turnovers during that span. Herbert hasn't gone back-to-back weeks without an interception since Weeks 1 and 2. He'll be tasked with protecting the football on Sunday if the Chargers have any chance of pulling off a road upset. One potential route to success for Herbert is running the football. He has 145 rushing yards in his last four games.