New England Patriots - NESN.com
Nathan Rourke was claimed by the Giants after he was waived by the New England Patriots earlier this week.
But as it turns out, New York apparently wasn’t the only team interested in the quarterback’s services.
The Falcons also put in a waiver claim for Rourke, according to a report Wednesday morning from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But since Brian Daboll’s side was higher on the NFL’s priority list than Raheem Morris’, the 25-year-old ended up in the Meadowlands rather than Atlanta.
Had Rourke landed with the Falcons, he would have joined one of the league’s most fascinating signal-caller situations. Atlanta provided the biggest surprise of the 2024 NFL Draft when it selected Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall a little over a month after signing Kirk Cousins to an extremely expensive multiyear contract. Journeyman quarterback Taylor Heinicke also is on the depth chart in Atlanta.
Rourke, however, now is set to compete with Giants QBs Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito this spring and summer. To the surprise of some, New York didn’t take a signal-caller with any of its six 2024 draft picks. The G-Men reportedly tried to trade for the Patriots’ No. 3 overall selection, but Schefter suspected New York did so with a different premium position in mind.
As for New England, its QB room now features rookies Drake Maye and Joe Milton III along with veterans Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe.
