Falcons 'Somewhere In Between' on QB Urgency Meter

After the Atlanta Falcons added two quarterbacks at a very high cost during the 2024 offseason, the fanbase doesn't want to even think about the possibility of needing to find another signal-caller.

But that's the scenario Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon presented while devising an intriguing list Friday.

Gagnon placed all 32 NFL teams into three quarterback tiers -- prime candidates to pursue a new franchise quarterback next year, teams that probably won't be in the quarterback market until at least 2027, and somewhere in between.

The Falcons were the final team listed in the "somewhere in between" tier.

"Michael Penix Jr. played only three games last year, but he shined in those starts. He'll get at least a full season or two to audition for the long-term job after the Falcons took him with the No. 8 overall pick in 2024," wrote Gagnon.

Penix showed a lot of promise last season, so the Falcons and their fans surely expect him to be the answer. But given that Penix isn't guaranteed to be a franchise quarterback, it's not suprirising where the Falcons found themselves on Gagnon's list.

That's especially the case when fans see who else was included in Gagnon's "somewhere in between" tier -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.

A year ago, to suggest the Dolphins or Texans would be in the quarterback market before 2027 would be pretty crazy. But with another concussion to Tua Tagovailoa and a sophomore slump for C.J. Stroud, those teams' futures behind center looks a little less bright.

Meanwhile, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield continue to struggle with consistency, at times. But they are generally just good enough that those teams will also likely pause before considering other options.

In addition to Penix, five other quarterbacks went in the top 12 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Of those five other teams who drafted those signal-callers, four of them made Gagnon's "probably not in the QB market until 2027 or later" tier.

However, all four of those quarterbacks -- Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix -- played a lot more than Penix.

The other team that drafted a quarterback in the first round of 2024, the Minnesota Vikings, were with the Falcons in the "somewhere in the middle" tier. J.J. McCarthy didn't play at all as a rookie because of a torn ACL.

One could argue, though, that the small sample for Penix and McCarthy should mean the Falcons and Vikings give their young quarterbacks more opportunities going forward than the teams who already had their 2024 signal-callers play a lot as rookies.

On the other hand, if Williams or Maye don't show any signs of improvement in 2025 or get worse, can we say with 100% certainty the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots won't shop the quarterback market next spring?