Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or Bryce Young

Wednesday, December 17, 1:21 PM

Kansas City Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder said that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) was operated on quickly to fix the LCL part of his ACL/LCL knee injury that he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Jesse Newell of The Athletic. Mahomes has started his rehab in Dallas this week and will continue through Thursday before returning to KC. The fact that the 30-year-old tore both his ACL and LCL will make his recovery more complicated, but reports suggest that Mahomes is "hellbent" on returning for the Week 1 season opener in 2026. For the final three weeks of the 2025 season, Gardner Minshew will run KC's offense, which is an obvious downgrade for all of the Chiefs' offensive skill players. Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, threw for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 14 games in 2025 in his ninth NFL season.

Tuesday, December 30, 9:31 AM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has a chance to get his team to the playoffs, as he looks to bounce back from a rough outing last week against the Seahawks. He only managed 54 passing yards and also threw an interception in tough weather conditions in his team's Week 17 home loss. The 8-8 Panthers can still win the division, though, if they knock off the Buccaneers in Tampa on Saturday afternoon. Carolina will also make the playoffs even with a loss if the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday. Young and the Panthers just faced and beat the Bucs in Week 16, with the QB throwing for two touchdowns and 191 yards in the 23-20 victory. On the season, Young has 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while averaging 183 passing yards per game. If he can duplicate his Week 16 performance, he is a streaming option in two-QB leagues, although the tough matchup on the road keeps him from being a strong play in single-QB formats.