Considering the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback situation, it makes sense that Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is getting mentioned in some NFL Mock Drafts as a potential fit in the Peach State. The real question is whether projections to the Falcons might actually convince Carr to stay in South Bend one more season.
The honest answer is absolutely not. The idea that he might get handed the keys to the kingdom of a franchise that historically isn’t cartoon-character bad like the New York Giants or Cleveland Browns is plenty attractive. They’ve got an owner who genuinely cares about winning and some decent players to put around Carr if he went there.
There’s also the argument that if Carr wants to leave Notre Dame a year early and hope for a first-round pick, he’s likely going to a team that isn’t all that good. But the Falcons drafted a first-round quarterback not that long ago. The former Washington Huskies QB was selected No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, despite decent numbers in limited playing time due to injuries, some around the franchise wonder whether either Penix or Tua Tagovailoa (acquired this offseason) is slated to be the Falcons’ quarterback beyond 2026.
“Concern continues to grow in Atlanta as the Falcons try to find out whether Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. can be their long-term answer at quarterback,” Brent Sobieski of Bleacher Report recently wrote. “Clearly, neither proved themselves in this scenario. The position’s top tier of prospects has already been chosen, but Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has a skill set that should serve him well as part of Kevin Stefanski’s offensive scheme.”
CJ Carr’s perfect fit after Notre Dame has shifted with the NFL landscape
Earlier this summer, analysts described Tampa Bay as Carr's best landing spot. The caveat was that the Buccaneers and starting quarterback Baker Mayfield were at odds on a new contract, and whispers suggested 2026 or 2027 would be the veteran signal caller's last season in Florida.
The idea was that Carr could be Tampa’s first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and then serve a year under Mayfield’s tutelage before moving on and handing the starting job to the Notre Dame star. However, just before the season started, Mayfield and the Bucs reached a surprise deal that will keep him in Tampa long-term and, in the process, make the team unlikely to look for a quarterback in the first round of next spring’s draft.
The Falcons are the odds-on favorite at the moment to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Not only are they 0-2, but they’ve scored a grand total of 16 points in those two losses. So then the question becomes: Would Carr be the No. 1 overall pick?
He’s off to the kind of start that puts him in the conversation at the very least. In Notre Dame’s first three games, he’s completed 72.6% of his passes for 726 yards, 6 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Carr’s numbers aren’t as flashy as Miami’s Darian Mensah (89.9%, 873 yards, 11 TDs, 0 Ints), but the Hurricanes’ schedule has been even softer early on than the Irish's.
If CJ Carr has to start his post-Notre Dame football career, the Atlanta Falcons are not the worst option. The question remains whether the NFL team sees the talented gunslinger as the best option after so many quarterback failures over the last few years.
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