The Falcons’ roster will soon include a second quarterback. A.J. McCarron will join Matt Ryan in Atlanta, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets.
McCarron spent the past two seasons backing up Deshaun Watson in Houston. The former Bengals backup has seven years’ experience in this role, with a 2015 cameo as a starter also on the ex-Alabama standout’s NFL resume.
Matt Schaub filled this post for the past four seasons but retired earlier this year. The Falcons were connected to quarterbacks at No. 4 overall, but the team went with the consensus choice — tight end Kyle Pitts — and will continue with the Ryan era. That meant finding a new backup to the 13-year starter became necessary.
This move may well take the Falcons out of the second- or third-round QB markets tonight. A 2014 fifth-rounder, McCarron started for two Alabama national championship-winning teams. He made four starts in 2015, after an Andy Dalton injury ended his promising season, and one in 2019. McCarron also spent time with the Raiders and Bills, joining the latter as a potential starter in 2018. But Buffalo cut him ahead of that season, routing him to Oakland and back onto the QB2 circuit.
When your claim to fame is that Brent Musberger incessantly drooled over your girlfriend on TV…
I was wondering how many comments would be made before she was mentioned. I wasn’t disappointed.
Only reason I know the guy’s name.
Or remember Musberger’s.
I thought that’s who the Pats drafted at 15 last night? Wait Mac Jones..? Ahh well pretty much the same guy…
Thought the very same thing.
Bills didn’t cut him, they traded him to the Raiders.
Explains why Atlanta didn’t select Fields.