Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Bryce Young

Tuesday, January 14, 4:51 PM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold resurrected his career by leading the Vikings to 14 wins in 2024 while posting career-highs in passing yards (4,319) and touchdowns (35), but he came crashing down hard in losses to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round in which he had a combined 23 off-target throws and took 11 sacks. Darnold's future is now as unsettled as ever as he heads toward free agency in March, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Darnold is still the top free-agent QB. The teams that Fowler has spoken with recently forecasted Darnold in the Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield weight class of contracts. Mayfield got a three-year, $100 million deal last offseason with Tampa, while Smith signed a three-year, $75 million deal before the 2023 season. Darnold tanked to end the year, but he did enough to find work as a starter somewhere else if Minnesota doesn't want him back.

Sunday, January 5, 4:59 PM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young went 25-for-34 with 251 yards and three scores during their overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He added 24 yards and two touchdowns on five rushing attempts. This was his best performance of his young NFL career. After having a quiet first quarter, Young was able to punch in a five-yard score with his legs and threw a 33-yard TD pass to Miles Sanders in the second frame. In the third quarter, he found tight end Tommy Tremble and wide receiver David Moore on a 21-yard and nine-yard TD pass respectively. Then in the fourth quarter, Young tallied his second rushing score of the afternoon, this time from ten yards out. The former first-overall pick would then lead the Panthers to a game-winning drive in overtime which was capped off by a Miles Sanders TD run. Despite his struggles last season and at the start of this season, Young has begun to turn the corner. During Weeks 12 through 17, Young averaged a solid 22.0 PPR points per game and will carry some solid momentum into the offseason.