Why the Falcons Kept Four Quarterbacks on Their 53-Man Roster

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are the only team in the NFL that has not yet named a starting quarterback, but they were one of four teams to carry four of them on their active roster.

As the competition raged at Falcons headquarters for both the starting and third-string jobs, first-year general manager Ian Cunningham chose to retain all the competitors as the evaluation continues. Kevin Stefanski will announce the Week 1 starter, which will likely be either Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa, but veteran Cooper Rush and the upstart undrafted free agent Jack Strand made late pushes.

“The more reps, the more evaluations we can get, the better, right,” Falcons general manager Cunningham said. “Just like we discussed, that's the hand that we were dealt with. So, the more opportunities that we can get to evaluate, the better it is.”

All four players had legitimate arguments for retention.

Penix only has two weeks of practice with full team participation. Tagovailoa easily has the most starting experience in the NFL. Rush is a veteran backup. Strand opened eyes this summer with some outstanding preseason performances, and while he is not considered a likely option to start anytime soon, there was a good chance he would not last on the practice squad.

Not all four players will have a role on the field this season, but each provides a level of insurance that the Falcons critically need.

“If you let a guy like Cooper go, there’s a potential that he may be able to get an opportunity to go to another team. If you let a guy like Jack Strand go, he’s subject to waivers. And the way he played, [makes that risky],” Cunningham explained. “We talk about all the time draft, develop, retain – in his (Strand) case, he was undrafted, but to develop. There's a chance that somebody could have claimed him. I think it's about living in the now but also living in the future with Jack. So that kind of went into the four-quarterback thought process.”

The decision makes sense, but it carries repercussions down the line. As a result of this decision – or really indecision – the Falcons were forced to part ways with several players who would have had more significant roles on the team come Week 1.

They carried just two running backs, cut several veteran edge rushers, and had no room for rotational defensive linemen like Zach Harrison.

“I feel like that's a little bit of the roster gymnastics,” Cunningham said about his decision to retain the four players and how it impacts the rest of the roster. “You have to sacrifice some at some position but also know that we've got 16 practice squad spots. So, being thoughtful in that too, of who you put on practice squad, where you have certain spots, where we feel comfortable about some elevations if we need that.

“I think that's where you've got to get a little bit creative and feel like we're in that space right now. And it will probably change throughout the season. Just because we start with this 53 now, it may not be the same 53 that it is Week 18.”

The roster is far from settled, but not much else can happen until the Falcons make their QB1 decision – that is expected to come on Monday. That decision could trigger another round of roster moves as Cunningham continues balancing what Atlanta needs now with what it hopes to build for later.

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