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The hopes of NFL franchises – and their fans – often lie in their starting quarterbacks.
Let’s take a look at the odds for which signal-callers will start for six franchises, on DraftKings Sportsbook starting April 30.
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Cardinals Week 1 starting quarterback
Jacoby Brissett: -330 (bet $10 to win $13.03 total)
Gardner Minshew: +420 (bet $10 to win $52 total)
Carson Beck: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
What you need to know: The Cardinals released seven-year starter Kyler Murray in March, and he signed a one-year deal with the Vikings. With Murray dealing with injury for much of last season, Brissett was the Cardinals’ starter for 12 games, going 1-11 in those starts. Minshew will be on his fifth team in five years and is 2-8 as a starter over the past two seasons. As for Beck, he was selected by Arizona in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Falcons Week 1 starting quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa: -125 (bet $10 to win $18 total)
Michael Penix Jr.: -102 (bet $10 to win $19.80 total)
What you need to know: This one is in the air. Tagovailoa has started 76 games over the past six seasons in Miami, going 44-32. In five of those years, the Dolphins had a winning record when Tagovailoa started, but Miami made the playoffs only once, losing in the wild-card round. He was released by Miami in March and signed a one-year contract with Atlanta. As for Penix, he started 12 games in two seasons with the Falcons, going 4-8, including 3-6 as a starter last season.
Browns Week 1 starting quarterback
Deshaun Watson: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)
Shedeur Sanders: +108 (bet $10 to win $20.80 in total)
Dillon Gabriel: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 in total)
What you need to know: Watson is entering his fifth season with the Browns, a tenure that has been marred by off-field issues and injuries, including a ruptured Achilles that caused him to miss the entire 2025-26 NFL season. In 19 starts for the Browns, Watson is 9-10, including 1-6 last season. Sanders, a rookie last season, went 3-4 in seven starts, while Gabriel – also a rookie – went 1-5 in six starts before Sanders took over.
Chefs Week 1 starting quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: -720 (bet $10 to win $11.39 total)
Justin Fields: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Any other QB: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
What you need to know: This one is a health question. Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15 of last season (Dec. 14, 2025), but the odds suggest he’ll be ready for Week 1. If for some reason he’s not ready to play, Kansas City traded for Fields in March. Fields started nine games for the Jets last season, going 2-7.
Raiders Week 1 starting quarterback
Kirk Cousins : -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Fernando Mendoza: +168 (bet $10 to win $26.80 total)
Any other QB: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
What you need to know: The Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they also signed Cousins in early April as an insurance policy. If the team wants to give reigning Heisman winner Mendoza time to grow into a backup role, Cousins is the man for Las Vegas.
Steelers Week 1 starting quarterback
Any other QB: -670 (bet $10 to win $11.49 total)
Will Howard: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Mason Rudolph: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Drew Allar: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
What you need to know: In this case, Aaron Rodgers — who hasn’t told the Steelers whether or not he’ll return — would fall into the “Any Other QB” category. Rodgers spent 18 years with Green Bay, two with the Jets, and last year was his first with the Steelers. He went 10-6 as a starter, taking Pittsburgh to the playoffs, where he lost in the wild-card round. Howard was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He has yet to take over in the NFL. Rudolph spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and one in Tennessee. As a starter, he is 9-9-1. As for Allar, he was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
