Falcons flex QB Kurt Benkert to active roster

The Falcons are, as far as we know, extremely healthy at the moment. They’re down Dante Fowler Jr., but otherwise they seem to be in great shape for Sunday’s tilt against the New Orleans Saints.

That’s why it’s mildly surprising that the Falcons have flexed Kurt Benkert to the active roster for Sunday’s game, which would seem to suggest some sort of quarterback issue the team has yet to announce. Either that or they really like Benkert’s ability to make fun of the Saints from the sidelines, which I would also respect.

Benkert has been one of the team’s most frequently protected practice squad players in 2020, something that’s likely to continue all year as they give the next regime the opportunity to mull whether he’s the backup of the immediate future for Matt Ryan. For this game, he might be insurance for Ryan and Schaub, or there might be an issue that we have yet to hear about that would force Benkert to be the direct backup for the day. We’re hoping it’s not the latter but this is so out of the blue I fear something’s up.

More to come as we learn more.