Atlanta Falcons quarterback plans have flipped on its head after brand new option becomes available at the combine
The Atlanta Falcons could turn to a trade for Tyson Bagent to try and find an answer under center.
The Atlanta Falcons are in a bind with the game’s most important position at quarterback, and it’s creating some uncertainty for their upcoming season. The team has already announced that they will be releasing quarterback Kirk Cousins, while it seems fairly unlikely that Michael Penix Jr. will be ready to go for the beginning of the season returning from injury.
However, an opportunity may have opened up for them to find a new solution, and he has plenty of links to the team.
Could Tyson Bagent be the Falcons’ solution at quarterback?
The buzz surrounding Chicago Bears’ backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has never quieted down, even after the team added Caleb Williams to be their quarterback of the future. Bagent has long been highly regarded, even despite going undrafted and having limited playing time in the NFL. With a new coaching staff and front office management in town for the Falcons, the links keep adding up between the two organizations to get a deal done here.
Atlanta’s new general manager, Ian Cunningham, was with the Bears when they signed Bagent as a UDFA, and Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles has deep ties with Matt Ryan, as the two were teammates at Boston College. Those connections could be key in hammering out a deal to bring Bagent to Atlanta.
Additionally, Bagent is a fit with new Falcons’ head coach Kevin Stefanski and his scheme. It seems likely that Stefanski is going back to his roots of a lot of under center, featuring heavy play-action and bootlegs, something Bagent can operate in.
What happens with Michael Penix Jr?
Penix Jr. suffered an ACL injury in late November. That injury almost guarantees he will miss all of training camp and puts his timeline to play Week 1 in jeopardy, especially since it’s his third ACL injury. Penix will essentially have no practice time in a new scheme.
Where this gets tough is that Penix isn’t a scheme fit with Stefanski. The Falcons ran into this issue with Zac Robinson, where Penix couldn’t operate the McVay offense how Atlanta envisioned when they hired Robinson, leaving the offense looking disjointed and clunky.
However, owner Arthur Blank has maintained his stance that Penix “is a franchise quarterback,” and given the investment into him, he might not feel comfortable parting with him so soon. However, he isn’t a fit with Stefanski; putting the Falcons’ long-term vision for Penix in conflict with what Stefanski likes under center for his offense.
Bagent, on the other hand, is a fit in the offense and won’t miss any time with injury. He can start right away for the team. However, there’s one slight snag here.
Can the Falcons afford a deal?
As it stands right now, the Falcons have just five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft; a consequence of former general manager Terry Fontenot’s wheeling and dealing. They don’t have a first or fifth-round pick and have just three picks on Day Three of the draft.
Can they afford to give up one of those picks for a former undrafted free agent quarterback? At the NFL Combine, Ian Cunningham relayed that the team will adopt the strategy of adding as many draft picks as possible every season. Perhaps after trading around during the draft, the Falcons might get a deal done for Bagent with some additional capital added?
However, can they go into the draft without a clear solution under center? Can they risk not having a quarterback? It’s a tough decision, and there’s no real clear answer here.
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