FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons made a move from one preseason quarterback to another on Wednesday when they signed Nathan Rourke and released John Paddock. The team also announced it signed tight end Jordan Thomas and released wide receiver Daylen Baldwin.
Rourke spent the first week of training camp with the New York Giants but was ultimately released last Sunday. They were his third team, joining the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots on his short list since entering the NFL in 2023. Rourke has been elevated from a practice squad before but never taken a live snap.
From 2021-22, Rourke played for the Canadian Football League's BC Lions. In 2022, he was named the Most Outstanding Canadian, becoming just the third quarterback to ever win the award, which is given to the best Canadian player in the league. And according to the Lions' website, that award-worthy season saw Rourke complete 255 of his 324 pass attempts for 3,349 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Paddock, meanwhile, signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent from the University of Illinois back in April.
Thomas is a former sixth-round draft pick who joined the NFL in 2018 with the Houston Texans. His rookie season was his most productive with 20 receptions for 215 yards and four touchdowns. Thomas' playing time then significantly dropped off. He went from 16 game appearances that year to no more than six in a single season afterward.
Thomas hasn't taken a live snap since the 2020 season, which came with the New England Patriots. He was most recently a member of the Carolina Panthers' practice squad in 2023.
Thomas was otherwise active in the XFL and UFL. He spent this past offseason with the Birmingham Stallions.
Baldwin signed with the Falcons back in May. He was an undrafted free agent from the University of Michigan in 2022, given an opportunity by the Cleveland Browns. As a rookie, he appeared in one game and made two catches for 25 yards.
