Falcons Could Take Advantage of Latest QB Injury With Potential Trade

Quarterback is obviously the most important position in the NFL. Fans will be reminded of that fact once again in the next few days before the league's roster cutdown deadline.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Howell and then announced backup Tanner McKee has a fractured thumb. Surprisingly, McKee might not land on injured reserve, but the Eagles didn't want to risk being in the situation where Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Kyle McCord could be the team's primary backup behind Jalen Hurts in Week 1.

The Las Vegas Raiders are in a similar position, which could benefit the Atlanta Falcons.

No, the Raiders aren't really a potential destination for Kirk Cousins. The Falcons dealing the experienced backup signal-caller has been one of the more popular rumors this summer.

But in this case, a different quarterback trade could work for the Falcons -- Easton Stick to the Raiders for a Day 3 draft selection.

Could Falcons Trade Easton Stick to Las Vegas Raiders?

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Las Vegas backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell will miss 6-8 weeks because of a fractured right wrist he sustained in the team's preseason finale Saturday night.

Raiders starter Geno Smith is ready for the season. However, sixth-round rookie Cam Miller is seemingly the team's new QB2 without O'Connell.

That's not great for Pete Carroll's first season with the organization. On Sunday, pundits linked the Raiders to numerous depth quarterbacks around the league such as Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley and Kenny Pickett.

We should add Stick to the list of possibilities.

Stick turned in a solid preseason, posting a 69% completion percentage with 520 passing yards in three games. He averaged 6.7 yards per pass with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The 29-year-old played so well, pundits speculated whether the Falcons could move forward with Stick as their backup quarterback instead of Cousins. Such a move would enable the Falcons to trade Cousins.

I remain steadfast in my belief that the rest of the Atlanta quarterback room will have no impact on a Cousins trade. If the Falcons deal Cousins, it will happen completely because the team feels comfortable with the trade return it receives for the quarterback the organization signed to a $180 million deal last March.

Now, trading Stick would signal the Falcons are giving up on a Cousins trade happening during the season. Maybe the Falcons don't want to do that.

Atlanta can't really give up both Stick and Cousins in trades before the end of the 2025 campaign.

But trading Stick should be a consideration if the Falcons are content keeping Cousins.

A former fifth-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, Stick won't demand much on the trade market. He's likely to bring back something similar to what Taylor Heinicke did last year for the Falcons -- a conditional seventh-round pick.

But with that selection from the Los Angeles Chargers, the Falcons drafted offensive tackle Jack Nelson. Because of injuries to Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton, Nelson could make the Atlanta roster and potentially contribute as a depth offensive tackle.

Day 3 selections aren't insignificant. No matter how late they are.

Quarterback depth is so important in the NFL that Atlanta may want to simply keep Cousins and Stick for the 2025 campaign. That would be perfectly understandable for a club aiming to win a division title.

But if the Falcons want to maximize Stick's value on the trade market before the 4 pm ET roster deadline on Tuesday, they could shop him to a team desperate for quarterback depth such as the Raiders.