Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Caleb Williams

Sunday, January 5, 4:15 PM

Washington Commanders Marcus Mariota led the Commanders to a thrilling victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Mariota replaced Jayden Daniels at the start of the second half. With the Commanders already locked into a playoff spot, they opted to protect their rookie QB. However, this victory pushed them up to the No.6 seed in the NFC. Over the final two quarters, Mariota went 15-for-18 with 161 yards and two touchdowns. He added 56 yards and a score on five carries. He found Zach Ertz on a five-yard strike late in the third quarter. Then in the fourth, Mariota punched in a score at the goal line and would then find his top wideout Terry McLaurin on a game-winning five-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds. Mariota also saw time in Week 7 against the Panthers when Daniels left early with a rib injury. He was sharp in that game as well going 18-for-23 with 205 yards and two scores.

Tuesday, January 21, 1:29 PM

The Athletic's Dan Pompei believes that new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will likely empower quarterback Caleb Williams heading into his second year in the NFL after an up-and-down rookie campaign. Johnson gave QB Jared Goff authority with protection adjustments that not all signal-callers have while serving as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, in addition to eliminating plays that Goff didn't like. Johnson was also a big proponent of going for it on fourth down, so the Bears offense should be much more aggressive under Williams in 2025. It's the main reason why Johnson was Chicago's top pick to be their next head coach. Despite plenty of weapons on offense in 2024, Williams was one of the worst downfield passers in his rookie season and had a 62.5% completion percentage to finish as the QB16 in fantasy. The addition of Johnson will surely make Williams a popular breakout candidate in 2025.