The Atlanta Falcons are in a very interesting spot as a franchise headed into the 2026 season with a new head coach and potentially their first real training camp quarterback battle in years.

After Kevin Stefanski and the new front office brought in Tua Tagovailoa in free agency, most figured it was to back up Michael Penix Jr. and that he would get at least another year to prove it. As Penix has continued to recover from a torn ACL though, real momentum has built towards Tagovailoa getting a chance as the starter.

In an ideal world, one of Penix or Tagovailoa is the team's franchise quarterback moving forward, but what if they aren't? The draft class was brutal and Atlanta did not take one in this past draft, but one could fall into their lap next month in a potential supplemental draft.

After becoming the pariah of college football following his transfer to Texas Tech and surfacing of his gambling on his own team while he was the third string quarterback at Indiana a couple years ago, Brendan Sorsby opted out of his legal fight to play this season and will head to the NFL instead.

As wild as it would be, he could be a legitimate fit for Atlanta.

In all likelihood, Sorsby would cost at most a second round bid as a guy who likely would have been a first rounder had he been in the draft this past April. With a big arm, legs that can impact the game, and legitimate NFL accuracy, Sorsby as a player alone really is a very strong prospect.

Of course, Atlanta or any other interested team has a ton of due diligence to do in order to feel remotely comfortable making an investment in him, but assuming they have cut up the tape on him already, it's worth the work if they like what they see.

With a quick release and a willingness to push the ball down field, Sorsby is someone every team is going to consider whether or not he's worth the trouble and headlines that come with him.

Much of this debate probably hinges on how the new regime feels about both Penix and Tagovailoa. If they feel the franchise quarterback is not currently on the roster, then putting in a bid for Sorsby could make a lot of sense.

Though Atlanta would be a minor surprise to see be the ones to pull the trigger here, there's no question that conversation is going to be had in the front office. 

They are probably what could be considered a dark horse, but there are real reasons for the Falcons to pursue Sorsby if they think he could be a starting quarterback in this league.