Heading into the offseason, the Atlanta Falcons had one clear objective in mind, and that was to secure a starting quarterback for the 2024 season. GM Terry Fontenot knocked that one out of the park with the Kirk Cousins free agency signing.
Yet, Cousins is 35, and he is coming off a torn Achilles. In other words, there’s not only some short-term risk, but he’s also far from the long-term QB solution in Atlanta. Making matters even more convoluted is the fact that developmental prospect Desmond Ridder has been traded to the Arizona Cardinals, leaving just two quarterbacks on Atlanta’s roster, Cousins and Taylor Heinicke.
Signing Cousins already means Atlanta’s offseason is a big win, but with the 2024 NFL Draft right around the corner, there’s more roster work to be done. As the start of April 25’s NFL Draft draws near, the Falcons’ front office, led by Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris, have been busy at work finalizing their draft plans, which reportedly includes adding another quarterback to the roster.
“We’re definitely going to add a quarterback, right? We’re not going to go into the season with two arms. But it could be the draft. It could be before or after the draft. We’ll be open-minded about how we go through that.”
Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot on team’s draft plans
With just two quarterbacks on the roster, it only makes sense to add a third too. Yet, don’t expect the Falcons to do so with the eighth overall pick.
Instead, they’ll likely use one of their other seven draft selections to address the most important position in football. While whichever QB they select isn’t expected to receive any playing time in his first two seasons, having a young developmental prospect could work wonders if Cousins should experience an injury or simply plan for the future ahead.