The Atlanta Falcons have a playoff-caliber roster, but they've been plagued by quarterback injuries all year. Without Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa for the first two weeks of the season, the team turned to Cooper Rush with disastrous results.
Penix returned to the lineup in Week 3 and led the Falcons to two dominant wins in prime time. However, the third-year quarterback took a shot to the ribs in the fourth quarter of Sunday's overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens and did not return.
The team is hopeful that Penix will play against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. If he can't play, though, Atlanta's backups quarterbacks have not inspired much confidence.
In fact, one former Falcons quarterback thinks the team should bring in outside help in case
Penix is ruled out for Sunday's NFC matchup. Kurt Benkert, a former undrafted free agent who spent his first few years on Atlanta's practice squad (2018-2020), thinks the Falcons should sign veteran QB Joe Flacco.
"The Falcons should go get Flacco as their backup," Benkert tweeted on Monday.
The Falcons should go get Flacco as their backup
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) October 12, 2026
Benkert has been among Michael Penix Jr.'s biggest supporters over the years. The former Falcons QB routinely shares Penix highlights on his social media account. And for what it's worth, signing Flacco would seem to be a pretty solid move for a team looking to get back to the playoffs.
The former Super Bowl MVP has experience with Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. Stefanski won NFL Coach of the Year, while Flacco was named Comeback Player of the Year during the 2023 season.
Obviously the best case scenario would be for Penix to not miss any time. If he does have to sit out, though, fans would likely prefer to see Flacco over Cooper Rush at quarterback.
We'll have to wait and see what Penix's status is on the team's Week 6 injury report.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Kurt Benkert says Falcons should sign former Super Bowl MVP
