Tyler Sullivan· Aug 3, 2026
An unsigned CBS Sports piece predicts the winners of the four ongoing quarterback battles — Kyler Murray in Minnesota, Tua Tagovailoa in Atlanta, Deshaun Watson in Cleveland and Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas — and names several veterans (Brissett, Geno Smith, Malik Willis) as their teams' Week 1 starters, with rookie Fernando Mendoza opening as Cousins' backup.
“Prediction : Kyler Murray wins the Week 1 job.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
9 checkable claims — 9 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 16 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
3 of 9 have settled so far, averaging 66.7 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 6 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 5.
Where this call stands in the room
Fernando Mendoza · 2026 season16 calls from 14 pundits between 1 and 2. Tyler Sullivan said 2. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
The games in this take
- Falcons at Steelers 34 calls
- Packers at Vikings 41 calls
- Dolphins at Raiders 48 calls
9 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart
“Prediction : Kirk Cousins wins the Week 1 job.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- LV
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Kirk Cousins
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- position:
- QB
- reported:
- named the starter
- naive slot:
- 2
- settled by:
- a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart
“Prediction : Kyler Murray wins the Week 1 job.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIN
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Kyler Murray
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- position:
- QB
- reported:
- named the starter
- naive slot:
- 2
- settled by:
- a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart
“Prediction : Tua Tagovailoa wins the Week 1 job.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- ATL
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Tua Tagovailoa
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- reported:
- he did not play that week
- naive slot:
- 1
- settled by:
- weekly snap counts (he took no snap in the game)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Depth Chart CallsMalik WillisMiami DolphinsAug 3, 2026
Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart
“Given that contract, he'll be the wire-to-wire starter for Miami in 2026.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart
“Prediction : Deshaun Watson wins the Week 1 job.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
J.J. McCarthy to be 2nd on the depth chart
“it's hard not to see Murray coming out on top ... Prediction : Kyler Murray wins the Week 1 job.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsGeno SmithNew York JetsAug 3, 2026
Geno Smith to be 1st on the depth chart
“Smith's lane to begin the season as the starter is clear.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jacoby Brissett to be 1st on the depth chart
“The veteran will almost certainly be the Cardinals' QB1 to begin the 2026 campaign”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Fernando Mendoza to be 2nd on the depth chart
“Even if Mendoza takes training camp by storm, Kubiak's path for the young quarterback could lead to him starting his career as Cousins' backup.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Rich HribarDepth Chart Calls · Malik WillisHit · 100Hribar previews the Week 1 Dolphins-Raiders game, calling Malik Willis a strong floor-based QB2 for fantasy, noting Kirk Cousins is the Raiders' starter and not a Week 1 streamer in 1QB leagues, and listing expected defensive starters for both teams.
- Warren SharpDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100Sharp argues Raiders rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is not ready to play, predicting he won't start Week 1 or Week 2 and that Kirk Cousins will be the Week 1 starter, with Mendoza sitting behind him for a long stretch.
- Greg AumanDepth Chart Calls · Malik WillisHit · 100Auman states Malik Willis will be Miami's Week 1 starting quarterback and the player the Dolphins build their season around, despite having only six career starts.
- Carter BahnsDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100The newsletter says Shedeur Sanders' preseason Week 2 start may have won him the Browns' starting quarterback job over Deshaun Watson, and that Kirk Cousins will lead the Raiders' offense in Week 1. It also asserts Florida is the best college basketball team heading into 2026-27.
- John BreechDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100In a preseason Week 1 winners-and-losers piece, CBS Sports says Bengals receiver Dohnte Meyers is now likely to make the roster, suggests fantasy drafters consider 49ers rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, expects Kirk Cousins rather than rookie Fernando Mendoza to start Week 1 for the Raiders, and suggests Anthony Richardson has moved ahead of Riley Leonard for the Colts' backup quarterback job.
- Carter BahnsDepth Chart Calls · Kirk CousinsHit · 100Unsigned piece states Kirk Cousins, who started the Raiders' preseason opener, will also be the Week 1 starting quarterback, while suggesting rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza could eventually take the job if Las Vegas falls out of contention.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Randy GurziDepth Chart Calls · Jadarian PriceHit · 100Gurzi suggests the Seahawks could sign three free agents — safety Donovan Wilson, guard Kevin Zeitler, and running back Kareem Hunt — if weaknesses show up after Week 1. He also notes Trevon Diggs starting on the practice squad and describes Seattle's projected backfield roles.
- Jeff KerrDepth Chart Calls · Jalyx HuntMiss · 0From an Eagles training camp practice, Kerr projects Willie Lampkin as a possible 53-man roster player, Jalyx Hunt as the likely Week 1 starting edge rusher over Nolan Smith, Byron Young as the No. 4 defensive tackle, Jake Elliott as the uncontested kicker, and Darius Cooper pressuring Hollywood Brown for the WR4 role.
- Emmett MatasovskyDepth Chart Calls · Christian IzienMiss · 0Matasovsky says Dobbs is currently leading the backup quarterback race and suggests Christian Izien may be pressed into a starting safety role in Week 1 while Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph rehab.
- Jared DubinDepth Chart Calls · Daniel FaaleleMiss · 0Dubin grades the Faalele trade, predicting Faalele has a decent chance to be Jacksonville's Week 1 starting right guard in competition with Wyatt Milum, and that Evan Neal's odds of making the Giants' 53-man roster improved while Jon Runyan and Francis Mauigoa hold the Giants' starting guard jobs.
- Mike MoraitisDepth Chart Calls · Ozzy TrapiloMiss · 0Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play.
- Noah ComptonDepth Chart Calls · C.J. AllenMiss · 0After watching the Colts' eleventh training camp practice, Compton says rookie linebacker CJ Allen is still expected to start the regular-season opener, identifies Alec Pierce as the team's top receiver and Cam Taylor-Britt as the first cornerback behind the starting trio, and declares the kicking job Blake Grupe's to lose.