Who Should I Start? Taylor Heinicke or Anthony Richardson Sr.

Thursday, March 13, 9:30 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers and backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke agreed to a one-year contract extension worth up to $6.2 million on Thursday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Heinicke will return to L.A. for a second season to back up starter Justin Herbert. In his first year with the Chargers in 2024, Heinicke only saw action in four games (no starts) and went only 3-for-5 for 28 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The 31-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion has already played for five different NFL teams in his seven years in the league. His best year came in 2021 with the Washington Commanders, when he played in 16 games (15 starts) and threw for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Heinicke has started 29 games in his seven seasons, but he's unlikely to see much work again in 2025 behind Herbert, who is one of the toughest QBs in football.

Saturday, July 26, 7:44 PM

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. "was with the starters to begin 11-on-11 work" on Saturday, with Daniel Jones working with the second team. Both players will continue to compete for the starting job throughout training camp and into Week 1. However, it appears Richardson has the early edge, although that can certainly change moving forward. The signal-caller has struggled since entering the National Football League as the No. 4 overall selection in the 2023 draft, throwing for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while adding 111 carries for 635 yards and 10 scores. With that in mind, Richardson's durability is an issue, appearing in 15 regular-season games in his first two seasons, so he may need to rely more on his arm during the 2025 campaign. Unfortunately, he's completed only 50.6% of his throws, which could make that more difficult. At any rate, managers should monitor things in the weeks ahead, but it's safe to say neither player can be trusted fully to spearhead a fantasy team.