Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Will Levis

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.

Wednesday, July 23, 5:05 PM

The Tennessee Titans placed quarterback Will Levis (shoulder) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, ending his season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It was announced on Monday that Levis would undergo season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder on July 29. The 26-year-old has decided to have the surgery to ensure his long-term health based on medical opinions, and he should be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. The problem for Levis is that he didn't look good when given the starting job in 2024, and then the Titans selected Cam Ward with the first overall pick this April. If Ward handles himself well and stays healthy in his first NFL season, Levis will be returning in 2026 and strictly a backup without a chance to regain a starting gig. The surgery also confirms what we already knew: That Ward is the team's starter in 2025.