Falcons QB AJ McCarron 'heartbroken' after suffering knee injury against Dolphins

Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback AJ McCarron will undergo an MRI on Sunday after suffering a right knee injury against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, according to ESPN's Michael Rothstein.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said after the game that the team is bracing for bad news on the signal-callers injured knee. 

"I really feel for AJ McCarron," Smith said. "Any time something like that happens and it's non-contact, it's tough when you know what these guys put into it. I feel for AJ. We'll obviously get the MRI to confirm but he's heartbroken.

"He had bounced back and he was out there fighting, fighting for his team and trying to get the extra yards."

McCarron was injured in the first quarter of Saturday's 37-17 loss to the Dolphins. It's unclear if he suffered the injury on a seven-yard run or the non-contact play on the next snap.

The 30-year-old has bounced around the NFL since being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014. He spent three seasons with the Bengals before joining the Raiders in 2018 and later playing for the Texans in 2019 and 2020.

In 17 appearances, McCarron has completed 62.6% of his passes for 1,173 yards and six touchdowns against three interceptions. 

Feleipe Franks replaced McCarron in Saturday's game. The Falcons only have three quarterbacks on the roster and will have to replace McCarron this week. Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown and Blake Bortles are among the signal-callers still available, according to Spotrac.