Atlanta Falcons are in desperate need of another backup quarterback with AJ McCarron headed to the injured reserve and it looks like they have found one.
According to a Tweet report by NFL insider and analyst, Jordan Schultz, the Falcons are set to ink former first-round pick Josh Rosen to take McCarron’s spot.
Josh Rosen is signing with the #Falcons, per source.
Schultz added, “Atlanta is a good landing spot for Josh Rosen, the former 10th pick in the 2018 draft. With AJ McCarron suffering a torn ACL, Rosen will have an opportunity to back up Matt Ryan alongside UDFA rookie Feleipe Franks.”
The Falcons reportedly had multiple quarterbacks in for workouts on Monday, but they didn’t reveal who they auditioned.
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The Former 10th Overall Pick
As a UCLA standout, Rosen was drafted 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He appeared in 14 games, starting 13 of those as a rookie that year.
With Rosen as their start, the Cardinals struggled to a 3-10 record after he completed just 55.2% of his passes for 2,278 yards, throwing for 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
The Cardinals did a coaching shakeup and Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury took over as the team’s head coach. Rosen wasn’t around much longer after the team opted to draft his replacement in Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma.
Since then, Rosen has played for the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners gave him a chance during the second half of its opening preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Rosen threw 15 passes, completing 10 of them for 93 yards with one interception.
In three NFL seasons, Rosen has started 16 games, throwing for 2,845 yards, 12 touchdowns to 19 interceptions for a 63.5 passer rating.
Rosen Will Battle Feleipe Franks for the No.2 Spot
The Falcons have until the end of the week to get from 80 players down to their final 53-man roster.
It looks like Rosen has a real shot at making the cut and being Matt Ryan‘s backup all season long with his only competition being an inexperienced rookie, Feleipe Franks.
Franks flashed some promise in his first preseason game against the Titans, despite completing just 2-of-9 passes for 16 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran four times for 76 yards, including a 51-yard scramble that fans went crazy over via Twitter.
“Second half, Feleipe, young guy, we want to be a little better operationally. But what Feleipe clearly showed is he can extend plays, so that was good to see,” head coach Arthur Smith said after the 23-3 loss to Tennessee.
In the Falcons’ second preseason game against the Dolphins, Franks completed four of nine passes for only 46 yards with one interception. He once again flashed his ground game when he went for 32 yards on three carries.
While Franks has a good mindset, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
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Falcons Signing Former 10th Overall Draft Pick: Report