CBS Sports Summarizes Growing Narrative With QB Easton Stick in 1 Word

Head coach Raheem Morris is known for not playing his top quarterbacks much in the preseason. There's an obvious positive to that strategy -- more snaps for the Atlanta Falcons No. 3 and 4 signal callers.

With his opportunity in Week 1 of the preseason, Falcons No. 3 quarterback Easton Stick played very well. In fact, he played so well, pundits have begun asking whether he's ready for a bigger role in the regular season.

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin summarized that idea in one word Monday -- "tempting."

"In the sense that his sharpness against Detroit, even under pressure, could convince Atlanta to be more proactive in shopping Kirk Cousins, the current No. 2 behind starterMichael Penix Jr.," wrote Benjamin.

QB Easton Stick Shines in Week 1 of NFL Preseason

Stick played the entire first half Friday versus the Detroit Lions. In the first two quarters, he completed 15 of 18 passes for 149 yards with a touchdown.

The depth quarterback averaged 8.3 yards per pass. That number was even more impressive given the fact the Falcons couldn't generate much of anything on the ground.

Stick received an opportunity to start for an injured Justin Herbert in 2023. He posted an 0-4 record while averaging 6.5 yards per pass with three touchdowns and one interception.

Stick spent six seasons with the Chargers. Other than 2023, he only appeared in a game one other season in 2020 when he attempted one pass in his only appearance.

He is receiving his first NFL opportunity outside of Los Angeles this summer.

In college, Stick replaced Carson Wentz as the North Dakota State starting quarterback in 2016. During his first full season as a starter, Stick led the Bison to a win over No. 13-ranked Iowa.

Stick went 49-3 as a starter at North Dakota State. The Chargers drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Could Stick's Play Encourage Falcons to Trade QB Kirk Cousins?

Since there have been trade rumors around Cousins for months, it's not surprising that trade speculation has somewhat returned with Stick's strong preseason debut with the Falcons.

If Stick continues to play well this preseason, then Benjamin's one-word summary is going to be rather accurate. It should be "tempting" for the Falcons to move on from Cousins and slot Stick as the team's backup.

However, Stick isn't likely to be the final factor in a Cousins trade. The Falcons made it rather clear this offseason that they are not willing to lower their trade asking price for the veteran signal-caller.

That's likely to remain the case even if Stick plays well.

Should Stick continue to shine, then the Falcons will have confidence they can deal Cousins for the right offer. But the Falcons will still need to get that offer for a trade to happen.