Who Should I Start? Michael Penix Jr. or Shedeur Sanders

Tuesday, February 24, 1:14 PM

The Atlanta Falcons continue to be non-commital on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) being their starter under center in 2026, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "I'm not big on giving out positions in February. I think you guys know how I feel about Michael, and I'm excited about his trajectory. I also know he's focused on his rehab, which is the right thing to do," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. Penix is recovering from a torn left ACL in 2025, so it's understandable for Atlanta's new front office and coaching staff to be non-committal on him going into next season. Penix expects to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season this fall, but the reality is we won't have a better idea of his availability until this summer. The former first-rounder wasn't all that impressive in 2025 before his injury, and he's now rehabbing from his third torn ACL. Penix is determined to heal up and return as the starter, but he'll have to prove it to the team's new brass first. Now might be a perfect time to buy low on Penix in dynasty/keeper leagues, although his injury history dating back to college is worrisome.

Wednesday, February 25, 8:35 AM

New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said Wednesday that he thinks the team's starting quarterback job is "an open competition" and said he "doesn't know why it wouldn't be" when questioned by the media, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Jackson reports that Monken said he sees "elite playmaking ability" in Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but remained noncommittal about Sanders' status as the QB1 favorite. As a rookie in 2025, Sanders completed 56.6% of his pass attempts for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across eight games (seven starts). Sanders took over as the team's starter in Week 12, replacing fellow rookie signal-caller Dillon Gabriel. In 10 games (six starts), Gabriel completed 59.5% of his pass attempts for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. While Sanders could very well open 2026 as the starter in Cleveland, it appears as though the team is leaving the door open to the possibility of bringing in another quarterback over the offseason or simply staging more internal competition.