Aug. 24, 2026, 7:02 a.m.
ET
The Atlanta Falcons appear to have found a gem in undrafted free agent Jack Strand. The rookie quarterback went off in Saturday’s 34-6 preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts, passing for 212 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 132.5.
Strand, a Division II legend, pushed the ball down the field with ease and also made a few plays with his legs. Even Falcons president of football Matt Ryan got fired up when Strand ripped off a 16-yard scramble for a touchdown. Strand broke every school passing record during his four years at Minnesota State Moorhead (2022-2025), racking up 13,161 passing yards, 126 touchdowns and 50 interceptions. So why did he go undrafted, and what would have happened if Strand had transferred to a bigger school instead of staying at MSU-Moorhead?
NFL analyst Thor Nystrom claimed one of Strand’s college coaches told him that if the Dragons QB had accepted one of his NIL offers, he could have been one of the top-3 quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Not wanting to leave his college teammates behind, though, Strand reportedly chose to stay in Minnesota. “A coach on the MSU-Moorhead staff told me in the spring that Strand may have been a top-3 drafted QB if he’d taken NIL offers to jump up his last season,” Nystrom wrote on Twitter.
“Strand wanted to finish it out with his teammates. As scouts say, if you’re talented, they’ll find you.”
While this is a nice anecdote and it explains why Strand looks so good for an undrafted free agent, it should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Strand’s talent is no joke, and while he’s unlikely to push for the starting QB job this season (barring injury), the Falcons would be fools not to keep him on their 53-man roster. Strand’s arm strength, anticipation and mobility give him a chance to carve out a nice career in the league.
We’ll see how Strand fares in the Falcons’ final preseason game this Friday against the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also has a chance to make his preseason debut this week now that he’s been cleared for contact.
