Falcons Sign Jayden Daniels Clone to Practice Squad

With Michael Penix Jr. no longer running the scout team, the Atlanta Falcons brought in Emory Jones to replicate Jayden Daniels at practice.

The Atlanta Falcons saw Emory Jones in the preseason and signed him to the practice squad before facing Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback room has been a topic of conversation for several weeks, but this time, it has nothing to do with rookie starter Michael Penix Jr. or benched veteran Kirk Cousins.

Instead, it’s about quarterback Emory Jones, who Atlanta signed to its practice squad Thursday afternoon with intentions of helping prepare the Falcons’ defense for Washington Commanders signal caller Jayden Daniels.

Daniels is the leading candidate for the NFL Rookie of the Year award at the end of the season having led his team to a 10-5 record. He's thrown for 3,303 yards and 22 touchdowns against just eight interceptions, but he's also run for 736 yards and six touchdowns.

Jones, an undrafted rookie, spent this summer with the Baltimore Ravens before being released Aug. 27. He played collegiately for the Florida Gators, Arizona State, Cincinnati. His fourth and final year with the Gators in 2021 saw him pass for 2,734 yards and rush for an additional 759.

Despite having little time to learn the playbook, the 24-year-old Jones performed well in Thursday’s practice — Atlanta’s first non-walkthrough session of the week before Sunday’s game against Daniels and the Commanders.

“He was awesome,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said after practice Thursday. “He did everything we wanted him to do. What a fantastic young man, and that was a big deal for us. He provided a great look for us, and he's going to do it again (Friday).”

A native of LaGrange, Ga., Jones was a dual-threat standout at Heard County High School. He gives the Falcons’ scout team offense considerably more athleticism and on-the-move playmaking than Cousins, which is significant when considering the issues Daniels offers with his legs.

While Jones may not be a long-term member of Atlanta’s organization, Lake stressed the importance of Jones giving the Falcons a similar look to Daniels this week — especially with playoff implications on both sides.

“It's everything,” Lake said about the importance of similar looks in practice. “That's why we practice. We're trying to replicate the game in practice, so when we get to that game on Sunday night, the guys aren’t like, ‘Oh my gosh, this was more difficult in practice.’ That's what we're trying to do. 

“We're trying to make it as difficult as we can now, and so it can be just a little bit easier, or these guys have seen it when it comes to game time. Emory did a great job today.”

The Falcons (8-7) face the Commanders (10-5) at 8:20 p.m. Sunday inside Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.