The Atlanta Falcons suffered multiple quarterback injuries during training camp already. This forced them to go out and sign a new quarterback, but they could've also traded for Stetson Bennett instead.
The NFL Preseason is a unique time frame in the professional football league. It is a three-game stretch of what are essentially scrimmages between NFL teams. These games are meant to showcase new players and rookies alike to get them comfortable on a new team or system.
For the Atlanta Falcons, it has been obvious since Tua Tagovailoa signed with the team that the quarterback room would be under heavy focus during these weeks. That's because Atlanta's "franchise quarterback" Michael Penix Jr. has been out due to injury, and Atlanta's solution was to sign another injury-prone quarterback. It makes no sense, but they deserved a chance to prove they made the right move in their first preseason game.
Then after that one preseason game it is obvious things need to change and fast.
Stetson Bennett to the Atlanta Falcons just makes sense
In their opening preseason game against the Denver Broncos, the Falcons lost embarrassingly at home with a final score of 27-7. The quarterback room totaled just 133 passing yards and no touchdowns with new signee Cooper Rush, who played the majority of the snaps, also having two interceptions. Georgia fans would argue Bennett could've done better than that.
The quarterbacks' average passing yards per play was a sorry 3.7 yards per pass on just a 45 percent completion percentage. Let's face it, Rush is 32 years old. Jack Strand is an undrafted free agent that came from a D2 team called the Minnesota State Moorhead. Tua is an injury liability and Penix is the exact same way. They need a bridge quarterback. Not someone that will break the bank, but someone that will be cheap and have upside potential. For the Falcons, fans have been screaming this name for a long time to the front office, it is Stetson Bennett.
Bennett is in a weird situation with the Los Angeles Rams right now. In what was supposed to be his year to be the sure backup to Matthew Stafford, the front office decided to use their first-round pick to take Ty Simpson at this year's draft. Though Bennett has seemingly beat out Simpson for the backup spot, he saw significantly less snaps in the Rams week one matchup than Simpson, and Simpson took advantage of that and had a phenomenal opening game for a rookie.
The Rams seemingly have their quarterback of the future secured in Simpson. Bennett is a guy who is not getting any younger, but has so much to prove. The former Heisman finalist and two-time national champion quarterback has the mobility that Atlanta desperately needs. Not only that, but Atlanta runs a very similar offense that Bennett was used to in Athens. He would be asked to be a field general, to get the ball in the hands of play makers in space like Bijan Robinson or other former Bulldog Zachariah Branch.
Falcons fans are furious at the front office after an embarrassing outcome. The quarterback room, to be blunt, was pathetic. It is too late into the offseason to make a big splash for a better quarterback. However, the Falcons could bring in a bridge quarterback that would rejuvenate this fan base in an inexplainable way. Give the fans what they want. Give them a Bulldog at quarterback.
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