Who Should I Start? Mac Jones or C.J. Stroud

Friday, May 3, 2:28 PM

Unsurprisingly, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't pick up the fifth-year option on new quarterback Mac Jones, who the team acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots this offseason. Jones was New England's first-round pick in 2021 but failed to make an impact as their starter under center. He went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021 but was merely a replacement player. Jones started all 42 games that he played for the Patriots, but the team went 4-13 in 2023 and Jones found himself on the bench for the final six games. The 25-year-old from Alabama regressed in each of his three seasons in Boston, but it didn't help that the Patriots were constantly bringing in new offensive coaches during his time there. Now in Jacksonville, Jones will operate as the clear backup to Trevor Lawrence in 2024.

Thursday, July 18, 2:03 PM

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, said he thinks there are "a ton of things" he can do better in his second year in the NFL, starting with "owning the offense more" than he did a year ago. Stroud also hopes to improve his footwork in Year 2 and focused on his desire for the team to put more "on my plate" in terms of directing the offense. "I want to definitely attack down the field more this year and press guys back, but also take what the defense gives me," Stroud said. "If it's a boring play, stick with the boring stuff and just be efficient with that. Those are all things I can get better at." Fantasy managers shouldn't consider the 22-year-old to be a high-end QB1 just yet, but he's no doubt going to be a popular midrange QB1 target after the phenomenal rookie season he had.