The Atlanta Falcons opened the 2026 season with four quarterbacks on the roster and still found themselves scrambling at the position by Week 1.
Tua Tagovailoa won the starting job but missed the 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with an oblique injury. Michael Penix Jr. was also inactive as he continues working back from knee surgery, leaving Cooper Rush to make the start.
That uncertainty already has Atlanta showing up as a possible destination for two veteran quarterbacks on the trade market.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed both Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones as potential fits for Atlanta in his Sept. 16 trade board.
The prices, however, couldn’t be much different.
Falcons Linked to Mason Rudolph as Low-Cost QB Option
Rudolph would be the cheaper of the two options for Atlanta.
Knox projected his trade value at only a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick, noting that Pittsburgh has Aaron Rodgers starting with Rudolph, Drew Allar and Will Howard behind him.
The Steelers may also be willing to listen.
“The one thing stopping this is not Pittsburgh’s willingness to sell, it’s the number of quarterbacks potentially available across the league which could make finding a deal more difficult,” Casino.org’s Jason La Canfora wrote.
Knox then pointed directly toward Atlanta’s situation.
“Other backups could be available, but teams also need depth and/or a spot starter,” Knox wrote. “The Falcons have a quarterback mess on their hands.”
Rudolph brings considerably more starting experience than a typical third-string option. He has made 19 regular-season starts and one playoff start over his career, including time with both Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
The 31-year-old returned to Pittsburgh in 2025 and completed 38 of 52 passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions across five appearances.
For Atlanta, the appeal would be obvious. Rudolph wouldn’t require premium draft capital and has already shown he can step into the lineup when needed.
Mac Jones Would Come With Much Higher Falcons Trade Price
Jones would be the bigger swing, both in potential role and what Atlanta might have to surrender.
Knox ranked the former first-round pick as the No. 1 player on his trade board and projected a conditional 2027 second-round pick as the starting point.
That asking price isn’t coming out of nowhere.
The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reported during the spring that San Francisco was seeking a second-round pick for Jones. After Jones went 5-3 as a starter last season, the 49ers have even more reason to value him as Brock Purdy’s insurance.
“Jones proved last year that he can keep the 49ers afloat if Brock Purdy misses time,” Knox wrote. “He went 5-3 as a starter while throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025.”
Jones could also be gone after the season as a 2027 free agent, which creates the possibility San Francisco eventually cashes in.
“A conditional second-round pick that can become a first might be enough to get a deal done,” Knox wrote.
That’s a much different commitment than a late-round flier on Rudolph.
Atlanta’s long-term picture still depends heavily on what it gets from Tagovailoa and Penix. But after both were unavailable for Week 1, Bleacher Report already sees two veteran alternatives worth watching.
One could cost the Falcons a sixth-round pick.
The other could eventually cost them a first.
Falcons’ Trade Proposals Tap Steelers, 49ers to Fix QB ‘Mess’