Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Jake Browning

Monday, March 25, 2:16 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that he's happy to have veteran quarterback Sam Darnold on the team this year. "I think his best football is ahead of him because of how he handled the last couple of years," O'Connell said. The Vikings head coach points out that he saw growth with Darnold's fundamentals as he worked as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco last year, and he's excited to get to work with him in Minnesota. The Vikings signed the former first-rounder to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason, and depending on what the team does in the upcoming NFL draft, Darnold could open the year as the starter under center in Week 1. He'll have one of the best receivers in the game in Justin Jefferson to work with if he's starting, but Darnold will still be a midrange QB2, at best, in fantasy.

Tuesday, April 23, 2:06 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed exclusive-rights free-agent quarterback Jake Browning to an undisclosed two-year deal on Tuesday on a contract through the 2025 season. Browning got his first real shot in the NFL last year with the Bengals when he was forced to replace Joe Burrow (wrist) after his season-ending injury. In his first nine games (seven starts) played in the NFL, he held his own and kept the Bengals competitive despite not making the playoffs, posting a league-best 70.4 completion percentage, 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The 28-year-old will return to being the primary backup to Burrow in 2024, so he won't have any real fantasy appeal unless Burrow misses time with another injury.