The Atlanta Falcons are down to just two quarterbacks in starter Matt Ryan and rookie Feleipe Franks after losing backup AJ McCarron to a season-ending injury on Saturday.
And the team is wasting no time looking for quarterback help.
“We’re going to work some guys out this afternoon and we’re going to continue to look at all avenues to see if we can add to that spot,” Smith said after Monday’s practice via SI. “We’re good with the two we’ve got right now with Matt and Feleipe, but we’ll add one at some point this week.”
Smith also said the team could continue to audition quarterbacks well into next week.
#Falcons coach Arthur Smith said they’ll tryout a QB today and sign one this week and monitor the waiver wire next week.
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Three QBs the Falcons Could Be Looking At
Exactly who the Falcons worked out has not been revealed yet but there are a handful of free agents available including, Josh Rosen, Robert Griffin III, and Blake Bortles to name a few.
Whoever ends up signing with the team will have an excellent shot at being Matt Ryan’s primary backup.
“Depending on who we sign, they’ll be ready to go, depending on what we want to do,” Smith said of plans for the QBs to be ready to play against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Rosen, a former 2018 first-round pick, has been bouncing around the league. The 24-year-old was recently waived by the San Francisco 49ers. In three NFL seasons, Rosen has started 16 games (including 13 during his rookie year in Arizona), throwing for 2,845 yards, 12 touchdowns and 19 interceptions for a 63.5 passer rating.
Griffen, a former 2012 second overall pick is far from the QB1 he once was, but he would make a reliable No. 2 with plenty of experience under his belt. He’s spent the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens where he appeared in 14 games (two starts) and recording 288 passing yards and one touchdown to 4 interceptions. Griffen is very available and a shot at being Matt Ryan’s backup just might interest him.
Bortles, who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since 2019, might not be the Falcons’ go-to backup. He did, however, have a 2015 breakout season where he recorded 4,428 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. The former third-overall pick has found himself mainly on practice squads since then but he isn’t far off from McCarron.
Franks Has ‘Full Confidence’ in Himself as QB No.2
While the Falcons have plans to add a more experienced backup behind Ryan, rookie Feleipe Franks believes he’s the one for the job.
“I have full confidence in myself,” Franks said, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “I feel like I’m starting to gain confidence in the group around me. I’m just going to put my head down and go to work. That’s all it’s about, learning from your mistakes. That’s his mindset with just about anything. I do feel like I have the capability to do that job.”
Franks ended Saturday’s loss to Miami completing four of nine passes for 46 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing three times for 32 yards. While he struggled through the air, he showed flashes of what he can do on the run.
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Falcons Planning to Sign QB ‘This Week’