Who Should I Start? Trevor Lawrence or J.J. McCarthy

Wednesday, April 9, 2:41 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) will be limited during OTAs this offseason, but the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft said he is optimistic he will be full-go for training camp. Lawrence underwent offseason shoulder surgery to fix a left AC joint sprain. He missed seven games last season due to shoulder and head injuries, limiting him to 2,045 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns. The Jaguars are in the middle of a soft roster rebuild under new general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen. Brian Thomas Jr. looks like the clear WR1 of the future, but the team will need to address the WR2 and TE spots after moving on from Christian Kirk and Evan Engram following the 2025 campaign. Lawrence is unlikely to have QB1 upside in fantasy football next season.

Wednesday, May 7, 9:26 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell didn't really acknowledge whether former first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) will face competition for the starting job in 2025. "J.J. is going to be in a great position to assume and ascend in our organization," O'Connell said on The Rich Eisen Show. "But right now, we really don't have any feelings on competition as much as we've got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase." Sam Howell and Brett Rypien are the other options in the QB room. O'Connell did say that McCarthy is "owning it" this offseason and will get plenty of reps with the starters. The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, but he's fully expected to be ready for the start of 2025. O'Connell said he's seen a difference in McCarthy's footwork, rhythm, timing and cadence from a year ago. The Vikes like him a lot, so he's expected to be the starter in Week 1, where he'll be a low-end QB2 in fantasy with upside.