Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Patrick Mahomes

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.

Thursday, January 15, 4:11 PM

Omar Ruiz of NFL Network reports that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) says his rehab from ACL and LCL tears in his knee is "going great." According to Ruiz, Mahomes stated that his goal is to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season, which doctors have said is possible, but there is still a long way to go. Mahomes underwent surgery in mid-December, so a Week 1 return would require less than nine months of recovery time. Across 14 games before getting injured, the 30-year-old completed 62.7% of his pass attempts for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Mahomes also rushed for 422 yards and five scores, making 2025 the most productive rushing season of his career. His recovery progress will be one of the key storylines for fantasy managers to track throughout the offseason.