The Atlanta Falcons have been searching for some sort of quarterback answer for years now, and the latest attempt is going to be one of Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. Right now, while it's still early, Tagovailoa figures to be the passer who emerges from this de-facto quarterback competition.
But based on the recent past, Tagovailoa's chances at succeeding appear to be low, as he has major injury concerns and isn't necessarily a very special quarterback when healthy. There is a legitimate chance that the Falcons are again searching for an answer at the position after the 2026 season.
Could that answer be Baker Mayfield, of all players?
Could the Atlanta Falcons potentially pivot to Baker Mayfield?
The contract negotiations between Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have stalled out, and the veteran quarterback did not mince words when talking about it:
“I’m at a point in my career and understanding what I’ve brought to this franchise… leadership-wise and even play-wise it’s been some of the best years of my career and I think it’s only going to trend upwards… Disappointing in that regard to feel disrespected a little bit. That’s really the disappointing part, to feel undervalued after thinking you’ve earned it”
So, yeah. Mayfield isn't happy, and he's not hiding the feelings here. Right now, he'd be a free agent following the season, and if the Buccaneers don't do anything special this year, there could be a chance that the Bucs don't ramp up contract talks at that point or don't franchise tag him, either.
And in that event, nothing would stop Mayfield from signing with the Falcons, of course, if the front office has interest. The obvious connection here is head coach Kevin Stefanski, whom Mayfield played for with the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, compiling a 17-13 record with 43 passing touchdowns and a passer rating of 90.
And while Mayfield's exit from Cleveland was less-than-glamorous, he didn't seem to make a huge deal about his relationship with Stefanski earlier in the offseason:
“There’s stuff there, but it’s not like it’s beef.”
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 21, 2026
Baker Mayfield discussed his relationship with Kevin Stefanski 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ml5TnVbM7z
Furthermore, a potential signing with the Falcons next offseason would present Mayfield with the best personnel situation he would have in his NFL career. He'd also get to stay in the NFC South, get to stay in a similar geographical location, and could view this as a 'take that!' to the Buccaneers, who he feels slighted by.
Mayfield is also a good, reliable quarterback, and that's something the Falcons have been missing since the prime days of Matt Ryan. Mayfield hasn't missed a start in the last three seasons, has won 27 of those 51 starts, and has a 97.4 passer rating since the start of 2023.
While he's not in the tier of the top guys in the league, he's proven to be someone a team can absolutely win with and win because of in certain games. As recently as 2024, Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdown passes.
Yes, the 2026 season has not even begun yet, but the Falcons, and perhaps many fans, can see that the quarterback situation is less than ideal at the moment. If the Bucs decide to simply not extend Mayfield in the future, he'd become a free agent.
And a potential landing spot that would make sense for both sides is the Falcons.
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