A source told ESPN's Jordan Schultz on Monday that the Atlanta Falcons are signing former first-round pick Josh Rosen to replace AJ McCarron and compete for the team's open backup quarterback position.
The spot fell vacant when McCarron - who signed with Atlanta in April - tore his right ACL in the second quarter of Saturday's preseason game against the Dolphins in Miami, ending his season.
Speaking early Monday, Falcons coach Arthur Smith said the team would work on adding Matt Ryan as a starter and quarterback to compete with Felipe Franks. He was open about the Falcons' current quarterback controversy.
"It doesn't mean that if we add someone this week, it doesn't mean we can't add another person next week," Smith said. "We will continue to monitor it."
Smith did not deny that he signed after seeing the action at Sunday's preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns.
Ryan and most of the other Atlanta starters haven't played this preseason yet, but Smith said they'll go through the week as if everyone was getting ready to play and then plan the weekend right. will assess. He would, theoretically, include Rosen, but if he wants to play against the Browns, he will be dealing with a limited playbook, as he needs to get the vocabulary down and then learn as much as he can.
"I think it's unfair to throw someone out there and say, 'Here, here's the whole game plan, you better do it,'" Smith said. "So, depending on who we sign, you know they'll be ready to go."
This will be the fifth NFL team for the 24-year-old Rosen since he was drafted 10th overall in 2018 by the Arizona Cardinals. The former UCLA star started 13 games in Arizona as a rookie, completing 55.2% of his passes for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The Cardinals fired Steve Wilkes and appointed Cliff Kingsbury as coach after Rosen's rookie season. 1 pick in 2019, the Cardinals selected Kyler Murray and then tackled Rosen in Miami, where he started three games in 2019, completing 53.2% of his passes for 567 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions.
Rosen was waived by Miami in September 2020 – the team took on Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft – and then ended up in Tampa Bay's practice squad. In December, San Francisco dropped him from the Buccaneers' practice squad, but he did not appear in a game. The San Francisco 49ers, who drafted Trey Lance at No. 3 overall in 2021, waived Rosen last week.