Falcons Predicted to Sign Former Super Bowl MVP

Former quarterback Matt Ryan returned to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason as president of football operations.

No one has played quarterback better than Ryan in Falcons history. The team is hoping Michael Penix Jr. is the organization's next star under center.

But to support Penix in his third NFL season, could Ryan sign a veteran signal-caller from his own draft class?

NFL insider Greg Auman proposed the idea in his recent 2026 NFL free agency primer. Auman predicted the Falcons to sign veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.

"Flacco, 41, went 2-8 as a fill-in starter this past season, but it was an exciting 2-8 to be sure," Auman wrote. "Traded from the Browns, he threw seven touchdowns against zero interceptions in his first three games with Cincinnati, then went off for 470 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Chicago.

"He's inexpensive as stopgap backups go, so if you have a young quarterback who might not be ready, Flacco is an entertaining bridge and still happy to throw it 45 times if you need a pinch-start."

Penix suffered an ACL injury which required surgery in November. He is targeting a Week 1 return next season.

But with Flacco, the Falcons would have an experienced quarterback used to being a "plug-and-play" injury replacement. That extra insurance could be very useful, especially at the price Flacco would likely cost.

Flacco owns a 107-94 record as an NFL starter. He led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl title in February 2013 while winning MVP honors.

Why the Falcons Could Sign Quarterback Joe Flacco

The Falcons are expected to release veteran Kirk Cousins before the start of the new league year. But that doesn't mean the team won't need to find another veteran quarterback.

Flacco fit the fill of what Atlanta needs at QB2 -- an inexpensive, experienced option. Flacco started 10 games last season. While he won just two games, he remains an old-school gunslinger who gives a team a puncher's chance every week.

Flacco isn't a quarterback teams should want as their QB1 entering 2026. But he should be one of the better backups next fall again.

Flacco also has previous experience with new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski. He played for the Browns in 2023 and 2025.

During 2023, Flacco led Cleveland to a 4-1 record with 13 touchdowns while winning Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Stefanski and the Browns traded Flacco last year. So, it's possible Flacco might hesitate to join Stefanski again.

But if there aren't any trust issues, Flacco is a great fit. Last year, he counted as just a $1.86 million cap hit.

Flacco entered the league as the No. 18 overall pick for the Ravens in 2008. During that same draft, the Falcons chose Ryan at No. 3 overall.

They were the first two signal-callers off the draft board in 2008.

Flacco has bounced around the league mostly as a backup quarterback the past several years. He is 11-27 as a starter since the beginning of the 2019 season. But he is 5-6 with Stefanski as his head coach.

Over 18 years, Flacco has played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals, in addition to the Ravens and Browns. Interestingly, he's never played for an NFC team.