It's true the Atlanta Falcons have one of the worst quarterback rooms in the NFL, but it's nowhere near as bad as we realize. Michael Penix Jr. was just cleared for full contact, they still have a former Pro Bowler in Tua Tagovailoa, and now Jack Strand is starting to create some chaos in the QB room.
Strand enjoyed his breakout game in the Falcons' second preseason game, a 34-6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The undrafted rookie completed 12 of 17 pass attempts for 215 yards and a touchdown, and added a rushing score to his stat line--and this was in a little more than a half of play.
He looked truly elite out there, and his command of the offensest has confirmed he has real merit to be Atlanta's QB3 in 2026. At this point, you can't stash Jack Strand on the practice squad unless you want to lose him, but this dilemma saw Dan Orlovsky come up with an unrelated QB solution not many agree with...
The @AtlantaFalcons should try and trade a late pick for Stetson Bennett
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) August 23, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons have no reason to trade for Stetson Bennett
The ESPN analyst and former NFL QB pitched on Twitter that Atlanta should try to acquire former Georgia star Stetson Bennett away from the Los Angeles Rams for the low price of a late-round pick. But I think I speak for the vast majority of Falcons fans when I respectfully shut this idea down.
Let me say it louder for the people in the back: absolutely not. Just because a guy won two national championships down the GA-316 doesn't mean he's the answer to the Dirty Birds' QB woes. The guy has accomplished nothing in the NFL level and he's losing the Rams' QB2 battle to rookie Ty Simpson.
This doesn't make sense for the Falcons for a number of reasons, but let me spell this out. For starters, Ian Cunningham doesn't give away draft capital like it's Halloween candy, even if it's a late pick. Every trade he's made that involved draft compensation has involved some type of pick swap.
I realize a select portion of the fanbase has their Bulldog blinders on and wants this, but this is not in the franchise's best interest. There is no reason to turn around and bring in Bennett just days after Strand's breakout game when the 22-year-old is Kevin Stefanski's chosen developmental project.
Additionally, if Atlanta were to look externally for a third-stringer, wouldn't a different Stefanski guy in Dillon Gabriel make more sense? But this is all a big if, because Strand looks like he has an incredibly bright future for a guy. Let's not forget, this guy set the world on fire at Minnesota State-Morehead, where he did a lot with little compared to Bennett's body of work as a game manager at UGA.
There is no world where the Falcons should heed Dan Orlovsky's advice and trade for Stetson Bennett, because they already have a high-upside backup who has been buying himself some much-deserved goodwill in Jack Strand
Add us as a preferred source on Google