Falcons sign quarterback AJ McCarron to one-year deal

When the Falcons passed on Ohio State’s Justin Fields for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts on day one of the 2021 NFL draft, it was clear the team was going all in with Matt Ryan for another year at least.

When the Falcons passed on Ohio State’s Justin Fields for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts on day one of the 2021 NFL draft, it was clear the team was going all in with Matt Ryan for another year at the very least.

Despite there still being some decent quarterback prospects available as round two is set to begin, Atlanta agreed to terms with free agent AJ McCarron on Friday on a one-year deal to replace Matt Schaub as Ryan’s backup.

McCarron, a fifth-round pick by the Bengals in 2014, was once a sought after backup after playing well in relief of starter Andy Dalton in 2015. That would be about the extent of McCarron’s NFL career, though, as he would only go on to start one game in the following five seasons with the Bengals, Raiders and Texans.

Appearing in 17 games (four starts), the 30-year-old veteran has thrown for 1,173 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions and a career passer rating of 86.7.

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