As they make moves aimed at trimming their roster down to 53 players, the Atlanta Falcons are parting ways with one of their quarterbacks.
On Sunday, the Falcons announced they have released 13 players, including quarterback John Paddock.
Atlanta originally acquired the 24-year-old Paddock as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native began his college career at Ball State before transferring as a walk-on to Illinois, where he completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,278 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions while appearing in seven games during the 2023 campaign.
The Falcons’ decision to cut Paddock hardly comes as a surprise, as he served as Atlanta’s fourth quarterback throughout training camp. This past offseason, the Falcons signed free agent Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract before shocking the entire league by using the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta also already had Taylor Heinicke on its roster and has yet to make a decision on the veteran signal-caller’s future with the franchise.
In addition to Paddock, the Falcons released the following players as a part of Sunday’s roster cuts:
- Wide receiver Josh Ali
- Offensive lineman Zack Bailey
- Safety Lukas Denis
- Cornerback William Hooper
- Linebacker Storey Jackson
- Offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith
- Offensive lineman John Leglue
- Inside linebacker Donavan Mutin
- Tight end Austin Stogner
- Cornerback Trey Vaval
- Outside linebacker Bradlee Anae
- Tight end Jordan Thomas
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.