Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Deshaun Watson

Wednesday, December 3, 12:29 AM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota has played great while filling in for an injured Jayden Daniels (elbow). Mariota and the Commanders nearly pulled off the upset against the Denver Broncos in Week 13, with Mariota completing 28 of 50 passes for 294 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while adding 10 carries for 55 yards on the ground. It was a valiant effort against one of the top defenses in the league that continued a trend of the 32-year-old signal-caller playing well. Daniels reportedly has a chance to return in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he has not yet been cleared for contact. More will be known about Daniels' status in practice this week, but if he needs more time, Mariota would be in line to make his seventh start of the season and would profile as a strong streaming option again versus the Vikings.

Saturday, December 6, 9:14 PM

The Cleveland Browns are planning to keep quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) on their roster next season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. While Watson is considered unlikely to play this season as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles that required multiple surgeries, the team has expressed interest in keeping him on the roster, noting that the 30-year-old's veteran presence is valuable for their pair of rookie quarterbacks in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Another big reason Watson is expected to return is due to the fact that the Browns would have to take on a dead salary of close to $135 million if they released him before June 1 and a $53 million cap charge if he was designated as a post-June 1 cap casualty. The record for dead-cap money was set by the Denver Broncos with quarterback Russell Wilson at $85 million, which they split into two years, but releasing Watson would cost the Browns significantly more. With Watson set to return in 2026, he's expected to compete with Sanders and Gabriel for Cleveland's starting gig.