Who Should I Start? Riley Leonard or Graham Mertz

Wednesday, January 7, 1:02 PM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard was impressive in his first career start in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Houston Texans, going 39-for-67 passing for 415 yards and two touchdowns, although he did throw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Leonard displayed second- and third-level touch and accuracy from the pocket, which was one of his biggest question marks coming into the NFL. Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan thinks it's unfair to wonder if Leonard can be the next Brock Purdy, but it's realistic to ask if he could be the team's long-term backup behind the oft-injured Daniel Jones (Achilles). Bowen believes Leonard's performance against the top defense in the league in the regular-season finale proves that he should be considered as QB insurance for the Colts if they run it back with Jones in 2026.

Monday, August 25, 6:32 AM

Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.