AJ McCarron Signs 1-Year Contract with Atlanta for $1.2 Million

After being signed as a free agent for the Atlanta Falcons last week, former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron’s contract details have been released. In this one-year contract, McCarron will be paid $1.2 million with a $137,500 signing bonus to back up veteran Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan.

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Notably, this deal is less than McCarron’s last contract, which was with the Texans. McCarron was playing in Houston for $3 million in the 2019 season and $4 million in 2020, both of which were one-year deals.

Before Houston and Atlanta, McCarron spent four years in Cincinnati and one year in Oakland.

This surprise signing came as a shock to many - draft analysts and NFL fans alike suspected that there was a slight chance the Falcons might draft a quarterback to back up Ryan and serve as his eventual successor. Instead, Atlanta went with the obvious draft pick and selected Florida tight-end Kyle Pitts.

If McCarron gets any starting reps, Alabama fans might be seeing some dream connections. Sitting right in the middle of Julio Jones’s and Calvin Ridley’s collegiate careers, McCarron missed out on both star receivers. Currently, though, both players are household names in the city of Atlanta.

Throughout his professional career, McCarron’s reps have been limited. Still, the Mobile, Alabama native has accumulated 1173 total yards, six touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 62.6%.

During his time at Alabama, McCarron was a part of three national championships ('10, '12, and '13.) He passed for a total of 9,019 yards and 77 touchdowns. Through all four years in Tuscaloosa, he finished with a completion percentage of 66.9% and won a multitude of awards, including the Maxwell Award, the "Johnny Unitas Golden Arm" Award and the honor of "First-Team All-American" in 2013.

With Matt Ryan getting up there in age, many Alabama fans are hoping that McCarron will get more reps than he did in Houston. Ryan and McCarron are the only quarterbacks on the roster, so if Ryan gets injured, then it will be McCarron’s team unless Atlanta signs another free agent.