Falcons GM 'Won't Close Any Doors' on QB Situation amid Justin Fields Trade Rumors

If the Atlanta Falcons are going to add a quarterback this offseason, they are going to explore every possible avenue to do so.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday's about the team's quarterback situation, general manager Terry Fontenot said they have "got to get it right" and "won't close any doors" that might be open to them.

Fontenot's comments come as the Falcons have been connected to Justin Fields in a potential trade, though their actual level of interest might be up for debate.

On the NFL Report podcast with James Palmer and Steve Wyche (h/t Dave Choate of the Falcoholic), both of them poured cold water on Fields as an option for Atlanta.

"The Falcons, their new (offensive) coordinator Zac Robinson is coming from L.A. Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. That scheme does not fit Justin Fields," Wyche said.

Fields seems almost certain to be traded by the Chicago Bears this offseason. The Bears own the top pick in the draft and are universally believed to be targeting a quarterback.

B/R's NFL scouting department had the Bears trading down to the No. 2 pick and selecting North Carolina's Drake Maye in its most recent mock draft on Feb. 12.

Another team that has been connected to Fields with an offensive coordinator whose scheme might be a better fit for his skill set is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Arthur Smith is taking over Pittsburgh's offense after spending the past three seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Smith utilizes a run-heavy scheme that allowed the Falcons to have some success, despite their instability at the quarterback position. They had a top-10 offense by DVOA in 2022 with Marcus Mariota as the starter largely because they averaged 159.9 yards per game on the ground.

Fields is a tantalizing quarterback option for a lot of teams. He's been erratic as a passer with a 60.3 completion percentage in 40 games over the past three seasons, but he's a dynamic runner with 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.

At just 24 years old, Fields could still improve as a thrower. He did have his best season in that regard in 2023 with 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns in 13 starts.

The Falcons are in a position where they could try to move up in the draft from No. 8 overall. They could also stand pat or try to move down, add extra picks in a trade and potentially select one of the second-tier quarterback prospects closer to the middle of the first round.

If the Falcons don't like any of those draft options, Fields is arguably the best young quarterback who could be on the move this offseason. He could be worth taking a flier on for a team that has been riding the quarterback carousel over the past two seasons.