Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback AJ McCarron is out of season with a torn ACL in his right knee, a source told ESPN on Sunday.
McCarron injured his knee in the second quarter of his 37-17 preseason loss to Miami on Saturday. He grabbed the knee after handing the ball to runner Qadree Ollison. When he completed his typical post-transfer move, McCarron grabbed his knee.
He tried to get to the sidelines, but coaches and doctors examined him first on the field and then on the sidelines before heading to the locker room. He was replaced by the new Franks Fraft, with whom he had competed for the supporting role of incumbent Matt Ryan, who has not played at all this preseason.
After Saturday’s loss, Falcons coach Arthur Smith could not contain his sympathy for the veteran.
“I’m really sorry for AJ McCarron,” Smith said. “Every time something like this happens and he has no contact, it’s hard to know what these guys put in there. I’m sorry for AJ. Obviously we’ll get the MRI to confirm it, but he has a broken heart.
“He had bounced and was there fighting, fighting for his team and trying to get the extra yards.”
McCarron completed 3 of 6 passes for 43 yards. He also made a run for 7 yards before being attacked by Miami winger Sam Eguavoen, the play just before he grabbed his right knee.
For the preseason, McCarron completed 8 of 18 passes for 79 yards and an interception.
With McCarron out, that leaves two quarterbacks on the Atlanta roster: Ryan and Franks. Smith indicated Saturday night that if McCarron were to leave for a long time, the team would look into acquiring another quarterback.
Free agency options include former Blake Bortles first-round picks Robert Griffin III, who recently joined ESPN as an NFL and college football analyst, and Josh Rosen. It is also possible that other quarterbacks will be available in the next three days, as teams will have to reduce to 80 players on Tuesday afternoon.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported the news of McCarron’s injury at the end of the season.