The Atlanta Falcons turned down a trade with the Chicago Bears at the 2024 NFL Draft that would have seen the team pick up a fourth-round pick to move back one slot from No. 8 to No. 9.
The trade was revealed via a docuseries that followed the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles throughout the draft process.
It’s just the latest in a series of puzzling moves from a Falcons franchise that appears to lack any and all direction.
The Falcons, of course, were the talk of the first round of the NFL Draft. But not for a good reason.
Atlanta used the No. 8 overall pick on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. While that alone was considered a reach by some, it’s compounded by the fact that the Falcons gave a big-money, long-term deal to Kirk Cousins in free agency.
Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot didn’t help matters afterward when he struggled to explain the rationale behind the pick.
“We would have liked to add that position, but you don’t want to force a reach or do something you shouldn’t,” Fontenot said when asked why his team didn’t draft a cornerback.
Except drafting your quarterback of the future at No. 8 when you have other glaring needs is just that, a reach.
So, why is the rejected trade back so bad?
Well, the Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the top pick in the draft. They then selected Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9.
Chicago attempted to move up to No. 8 to select Odunze.
But Atlanta did not want to move back.
Why? Nobody seems to know.
The Falcons clearly wanted Penix Jr. And Chicago was never going to select another quarterback at No. 8. So Atlanta would’ve received, essentially, a free fourth-round pick.
Instead, they stayed put, didn’t get the extra pick, and most recently lost a 2025 fifth-round pick for tampering with Cousins, who they don’t seem to have much faith in.
