Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Jarrett Stidham

Wednesday, March 12, 2:18 PM

Veteran free-agent quarterback Marcus Mariota is signing a one-year deal to return to the Washington Commanders, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans spent last season with Washington and primarily backed up Jayden Daniels. Mariota threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns in three games a season ago. While Mariota clearly has no path to the starting job, he will be on the fantasy football radar in deep Superflex or two-QB leagues as a deep bench stash. Should Daniels have to miss any time next season, Mariota would have at least low-end QB2 upside playing with wideouts Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. along with tight end Zach Ertz in Kliff Kingsbury's offense.

Sunday, March 9, 9:09 PM

The NFL's Ian Rapoport reports that the Denver Broncos are bringing back quarterback Jarrett Stidham on a two-year $12 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons with the team, appearing in seven games. However, he did not attempt a pass in 2024 and served solely as a backup to rookie sensation Bo Nix. Stidham figures to occupy that role again in 2025 -- barring Nix's health -- and reportedly would have garnered significant interest as a potential backup on the open market. However, the Broncos sought to lock up their second-string option with extensive knowledge of the team's current system. The Auburn product can be safely avoided for fantasy purposes sans a bench stash in deep superflex dynasty formats.