According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Atlanta Falcons attempted to add quarterback Nathan Rourke to their 90-man roster. The talented Rourke was most recently with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots before he was finally awarded to the New York Giants via waivers.
On the surface, this is noteworthy given how they have handled their quarterback room thus far and the resources they have allocated to ensure that it is as deadly as possible. Over this offseason, Atlanta has:
- Re-structured Taylor Heinicke to come back for 2024 for roughly $4.53 million
- Signed Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed
- Spent the eighth overall pick in the draft on Michael Penix Jr.
- Signed Illinois quarterback John Paddock as a UDFA
However, Atlanta still has four spots remaining on their 90-man roster after signing all their UDFAs and are already confident in their roster as constructed. If you're Terry Fontenot, why not bring in another capable arm? What happens if Paddock doesn't pan out to be a good emergency fourth quarterback? What happens if one of these quarterbacks doesn't make it through training camp, god forbid?
With Rourke signing in New York, this is a non-story and unfortunately headlines like these will continue to happen as long as the Falcons have Penix lying in wait behind Cousins.
