The Atlanta Falcons' first preseason game is rapidly approaching and the organization expects to take a large step forward now that former No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. is under center. Kirk Cousins' dramatic saga has dominated headlines, but there's a palpable excitement at training camp for what this team could become.
Making the playoffs is an expectation, not a pipe dream, but it'll require some shrewd decision-making from the front office and coaching staff in the coming weeks. Cutting the roster down to 53 players is never easy as this is a tough time of year, though making the right decisions in the margins could mean the difference by the end of the year.
Unfortunately for one Falcons quarterback, that means he's as good as gone now that we've turned the calendar to August.
The Falcons have signed QB Emory Jones to the practice squad. A team representative said Atlanta did so to use Jones on the scout team at practice this week to better simulate Jayden Daniels’ skill set.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) December 26, 2024
Falcons QB Emory Jones Is on the Chopping Block Entering August
25-year-old quarterback Emory Jones, who joined the Falcons' practice squad back in December in an effort to simulate Jayden Daniels' unique skillset, currently sits as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart. Penix and Cousins are obviously locks to make the roster barring an unexpected trade involving the latter, and former fifth-round pick Easton Stick has a leg up in the competition as well.
Whether or not Stick makes the final roster is up in the air, but Jones fairly obviously won't. He's on a one-year futures contract at the moment and does have promise as a dual-threat option, though his lack of experience will doom him in the end.
He played six seasons in college, rotating between Florida, Arizona State, and Cincinnati. Jones' best year came in 2021, his final as a Gator, when he threw for 2,734 yards and 19 TDs while adding 758 yards and four TDs on the ground. Turnovers have long been a problem for him, however, as he threw 13 picks during that campaign and tossed another 10 in his only year as a Bearcat.
There's certainly room on the practice squad for a guy like Jones. He's a valuable scout team weapon and could develop down the line, but it'd be wise for Atlanta to prioritize the experience of the other signal callers under contract.
We'll see if Jones can turn heads during preseason action starting August 9, though at this point it seems clear that it's merely a matter of when, not if, he gets cut.