Falcons sign veteran QB AJ McCarron to one-year deal

The Atlanta Falcons have acquired a quarterback amid the 2021 NFL Draft, but he's a veteran and not a rookie. 

Ahead of the start of the draft's second round, the Falcons confirmed they've signed veteran signal-caller AJ McCarron to a one-year contract to serve as a backup for Matt Ryan on the depth chart. 

McCarron, 30, entered the NFL when the Cincinnati Bengals selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, and he's bounced around the league without ever cementing himself as anything other than a secondary option. In total, he's completed 109 of 174 career pass attempts for 1,173 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.

Famously, he was once a paperwork setback away from joining the Cleveland Browns in 2017. 

Atlanta drafted star tight end Kyle Pitts, thought by some to be the top offensive weapon of this class, fourth overall on Thursday evening even though some fans wanted the Falcons to use that asset on a quarterback such as Justin Fields or Mac Jones. According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot told reporters Thursday night "there's still a chance we could definitely draft a quarterback" this weekend. Friday's development suggests Atlanta might now wait until Saturday to add a rookie to its QB room.