Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or Kirk Cousins

Monday, January 12, 11:25 AM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (finger) has "a little sprain on his index finger," according to head coach Sean McVay. "He's as tough as it gets, and he'll be good to go," McVay said. Stafford's finger got jammed into a Carolina Panthers defender during Saturday's Wild-Card win, but the 37-year-old MVP front-runner should be fine to play this Sunday in the Divisional Round on the road versus the Chicago Bears. Stafford went 24-for-42 passing against Carolina for 304 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He will be a very popular QB option for this week's playoff games in fantasy football, as the Bears' defense allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs during 17 regular-season games, including 32 touchdown passes, the fourth-most in the NFL. Stafford will likely be on L.A.'s injury report this week, but he should be fine to play on Sunday.

Tuesday, January 6, 12:56 PM

The Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Kirk Cousins agreed to tweak the final two years of the QB's contract on Tuesday, setting the stage for a decision on his future to be made by the third day of the new league year on March 13, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. Cousins now has a guarantee for $67.9 million for the 2027 season that will vest on March 13. The restructure also includes reducing Cousins' 2026 base salary from a non-guaranteed $35 million to just $2.1 million. Atlanta's front office is in flux following the firing of general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday, but the Falcons could still move on from Cousins before March 13 as a post-June 1 release. A release of that kind would split the dead money on Cousins' contract over 2026 and 2027, as opposed to the team taking on the full amount in 2026. The 37-year-old played in 10 games this season, including starting the final seven following Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending knee injury. Cousins was serviceable, throwing 10 TDs and five interceptions, but he probably isn't in the team's long-term plans at the position.