The Atlanta Falcons already have an interesting quarterback room with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. for the upcoming season. However, nothing is certain with the Falcons signal callers after that.
That uncertainty is why J.J. McCarthy’s name is now in the mix. The Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray their Week 1 starter over McCarthy on Tuesday, dropping the 2024 first-round pick to backup and setting off speculation about his long-term future.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox ran through potential landing spots for McCarthy, and Atlanta made the list, even if the fit is more about next year than this one.
Bleacher Report Names Falcons a Possible J.J. McCarthy Landing Spot
Knox acknowledged the Falcons don’t have an obvious opening right now, since they’re still developing their own 2024 first-rounder in Penix. The door only cracks open if that plan doesn’t work.
Atlanta “could be in the market for a new project if Penix, who is recovering from a torn ACL, fails to establish himself this season,” Knox wrote.
The appeal, in Knox’s telling, is the situation McCarthy would walk into. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is an offensive coach, and the skill group around the quarterback is loaded with Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
“…McCarthy would enter a quarterback-friendly situation by joining the Falcons,” Knox wrote.
Why the Falcons’ QB Situation Could Open the Door
The current setup is exactly why the idea has legs. Tagovailoa, signed in free agency, is on just a one-year deal and is the favorite to start Week 1, while Penix still hasn’t been cleared for full practice as he recovers from his torn ACL.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport laid out how murky it is.
“My sense, Tua’s the Week 1 starter. He’ll go out there and play,” Rapoport said. “Continues to play well, then he’ll be the guy until he’s not. At some point as an organization you’d like to see Michael Penix Jr. play.”
If Tagovailoa falters and Penix doesn’t show tangible growth, Knox figures the Falcons could want another young quarterback to develop. They’d also value another healthy body, since Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand are the only other options on the depth chart.
The catch is that Atlanta probably won’t be positioned to draft a passer high. The Falcons haven’t won fewer than seven games since 2020, which makes a top-of-the-draft pick in 2027 unlikely and a trade for someone like McCarthy a more realistic path.
McCarthy could use the reset. The Michigan product lost his rookie year to a knee injury, then struggled through his first real action in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing just 57.6% of his passes across 10 starts. He became the only first-round pick since 1970 to finish last in the NFL in completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first season.
None of this is happening tomorrow. Tagovailoa gets first crack at the job, Penix remains the long-term hope, and McCarthy is Minnesota’s backup for now. But if the Falcons’ quarterback picture stays as unsettled as it looks, Knox laid out why McCarthy could be the next name through the door.
For what it’s worth, McCarthy did say he wanted to stay in Minnesota, despite losing the starting job to Murray.
“This is the place I want to be,” McCarthy told reporters, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I’m going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization.”
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