Michael Penix Jr's latest injury cost the Atlanta Falcons a chance to secure a big win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Atlanta cannot afford to lose any more ground in the NFC South due to their starting quarterback's absence.
Team officials are still awaiting word on how much, if any, additional time their young signal-caller will need to miss. The results of a Monday MRI on his injured ribs will clarify his prospects of returning to the field quickly. If he is going to face an extended stint on the sidelines, the Falcons need to make an aggressive move to solidify the game's most important position.
Counting on Tua Tagovailoa to keep the team afloat is not a quality plan of action. Dolphins fans know all too well the southaw's struggles in recent years. Even if Tagovailoa does step in and play well he remains a massive injury risk of his own. His brittle nature means Atlanta needs to hit the trade market to find a quarterback who can keep them in the playoff hunt.
Placing a call to the Steelers could prove to be a shrewd decision by GM Jan Cunningham and his staff. Aaron Rodgers is Pittsburgh's unquestioned starter which leaves Mason Rudolph languishing as the No. 2 man on the depth chart. The presence of young quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar on the roster makes Rudolph's long-term status with the team unclear.
Falcons get their backup QB
That confluence of circumstances makes a modest trade involving Howard make sense for everyone involved. He could slot right in as Atlanta's starter until Penix is able to get back onto the field. Rudolph lacks the upside to be anything more than a caretaker, but he can perform adequately given the offensive weaponry present on the Falcons roster.
The Steelers can entrust their backup quarterback spot to Howard. They hope Aaron Rodgers can stay healthy for his last season in the NFL, but Howard has enough juice to keep Pittsburgh afloat if the future Hall of Famer is forced to miss a game or two. The Steelers should be delighted to get any sort of appreciable draft capital in return for such a replaceable player.
The Falcons should offer a fifth-round pick to make sure they can get Rudolph in the building as quicklky as possible. That might be a slight overpay based on the lack of competition for him in the trade market, but it's an overpay worth making for the Falcons. Rudolph helping them win a single game in Penix's absence could be massive in the race for the NFC South title.
This isn't the sort of blockbuster trade that will send waves throughout the NFL, but it's the sort of quiet trade that could help the Falcons make their way into the playoffs.
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