The Athletic’s James Boyd believes it “feels like a safe bet” that Riley Leonard if Daniel Jones (Achilles) isn’t ready for Week 1.

31 March 2026

The rookie didn’t look overmatched against the Week 18 kinda-sorta-trying Texans or the Jaguars in relief of Jones in Week 14 before the Philip Rivers Experiment happened. He finished the year with 415 passing yards on 67 attempts, along with two touchdowns and three interceptions — one of which was a Hail Mary in Week 17 that he threw because Rivers couldn’t get the ball downfield. We’re not trying to sell Leonard as a dynasty asset or anything, but Shane Steichen is a good offensive coach and he could be a viable QB2 superflex streamer depending on how the schedule falls if Jones isn’t quite ready.