9h ago
Morning Coffee: Three burning questions at QB as NFL camps continue
Quarterback. It might be the most important job in all of professional sports. If you have an elite quarterback, you have a chance to contend for Super Bowls. If you don’t have an elite quarterback, you need to identify one and get him in your building as soon as possible.
By Luke Bellus
Sometimes you just need to commit to the bit.
So yesterday, when 45-year-old tennis sensation Venus Williams returned to action seeking her first win since 2023, I took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, with a pick on Venus to win her match.
“I caught the sportsbooks sleeping!” I wrote Tuesday night, “Venus Williams has a career record of 802-286 and is +1200 to win tonight!? I checked four times and it’s actually her playing. Wow, it must be an error by the sportsbooks. Go go go go.”
Now, this was, of course was not an “error” by FanDuel, as Williams had played only 37 matches since 2020, winning just seven of those, and was going head-to-head with American Peyton Stearns, who is currently ranked 35th in the world.
For almost any 45-year-old, the match was unwinnable. But for Venus, it was just another Tuesday night of making history.
Williams won in straight sets, becoming the oldest WTA player to win a match since 2004, and played remarkable tennis for nearly the entire match.
Williams will be back in action today on the doubles court as a -112 coin flip to advance to the third round with partner Hailey Baptiste.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, she’ll take on Magdalena Frech as a +300 underdog in the second round of the singles draw and is 60-to-1 to be the WTA Washington winner.
While Williams’ heroics on the tennis court won the night, we must shift our attention to the NFL, where FanDuel is asking the same question about three teams as training camps start to ramp up.
This is Morning Coffee for July 23, 2025.
Three burning questions at QB as NFL camps continue
Quarterback. It might be the most important job in all of professional sports.
If you have an elite quarterback, you have a chance to contend for Super Bowls.
If you don’t have an elite quarterback, you need to identify one and get him in your building as soon as possible.
Most teams entering camp have their QB situation sorted out. But for the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants, questions are still being asked, and FanDuel is wondering if you have the answers.
Let’s start in the Big Easy.
Tyler Shough sits as a -245 favourite to start Week 1 for the Saints, with Spencer Rattler at +186 and Jake Haener a longshot at 40-to-1.
Shough was selected by New Orleans in the second round of the 2025 draft after five years of college with stops at three different schools.
Entering camp, it is believed Shough has the inside track for the starting position, and that is reflected in his price of -245. That number comes with an implied probability of 71.01 per cent.
If it’s not Shough, it’ll more than likely be Rattler cashing at +186. The 24-year-old made six starts for the Saints in 2024, losing all six games while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions.
Based on the draft capital used on Shough, and the eye test on Rattler from 2025, I have no issue playing Shough at -245 to lead this team into action for Week 1.
Moving to the AFC South, the Colts enter camp with what FanDuel projects to be a 50-50 call as to who starts Week 1 between Anthony Richardson (-130) and Daniel Jones (+102).
Richardson has started 15 games over his first two seasons in the league, going 8-7 with an 11-13 TD/INT ratio.
Earlier this summer, it was reported that Richardson was dealing with a shoulder issue that limited his throwing at mini-camp, but that seems to have subsided.
Still, Richardson’s shoulder being better doesn’t mean he’s a lock to start Week 1. With six-year NFL vet Daniel Jones now in the quarterback room, it appears a competition is being held.
On Tuesday, Colts GM Chris Ballard said, “It's important they get into (preseason) games and we'll play both of them.”
“That position is so important to the state of your team when you've got that position solidified.” Ballard said, “Look, it's one of 53 and it's not all about him, but he's an important piece.”
And finally, okay, maybe the title was a tad clickbait with “three burning questions,” as it appears the conversation in New York is more about who’s going to be No. 2 on the depth chart.
Russell Wilson is a massive -1400 favourite on FanDuel to start Week 1 for the Giants with Jaxson Dart (+1060) and Jameis Winston (+1300) lagging behind.
Wilson brings a level of professionalism to the Giants QB room as Dart learns the life of being a pro in this league.
And while all signs point to Wilson being the man under centre in Week 1, Dart at +1060 is at least worth entertaining, in my opinion.
With the season still six weeks away, a lot can happen in camp and preseason games that could see Dart at least make this a more compelling conversation about starting than we expect at the moment.
Also, Wilson knows exactly what it’s like to be a rookie in camp who steals the job from the projected starter. He did the same thing to Matt Flynn in 2012 with the Seattle Seahawks.
Will history repeat itself this time with Dart sending Wilson to the sidelines? The odds suggest that’s unlikely, but what do you think?
Let us know on X at TSN_Edge who you would pick to be the starting quarterback of these three NFL teams.
Have a good day, everyone!