Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Jaxson Dart

Friday, January 2, 12:26 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (hand) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Mariota was a stretch to make it back to play in the final game of the year after injuring his hand in the Week 16 loss to the Eagles. The 32-year-old veteran was held out of the Christmas Day loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 and will now miss a second straight game to end the year. Journeyman QB Josh Johnson will make a second straight start for the Commanders. Mariota ended up playing in 11 games (eight starts) this year while filling in for the injured Jayden Daniels, and he held his own, throwing for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He added 297 yards on the ground and a TD.

Tuesday, January 6, 12:32 PM

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said that quarterback Jaxson Dart's name "has come up a lot" in terms of what will attract head-coaching candidates, according to The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll. "From the people I've talked to, the consensus is that there are a lot of potential head-coaching candidates that are excited about the opportunity here because of Jaxson Dart," Schoen said. The Giants already have their eyes on former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, and they will also interview interim head coach Mike Kafka, who has been a popular name in past coaching cycles. Dart's dual-threat abilities at the QB position were on display in his first 14 games in 2025. The first-rounder out of Ole Miss threw for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions while adding 487 rushing yards and nine more TDs. If Dart can learn to protect himself better as a runner, he has high-end QB1 upside in fantasy going into Year 2.