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Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney Set to be released
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 9:18 AM
The Falcons are planning to release Mooney when the new league year begins March 11, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Mooney had just 32 catches for 443 yards and one touchdown in 15 appearances during a disappointing 2025 season. Releasing the 28-year-old wide receiver prior to the final year of his three-year, $39 million contract will save the Falcons $7.4 million in cap space. Mooney had 992 receiving yards over 16 games with Atlanta in the 2024, so he's likely to garner some interest once he hits the open market. |
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Kyle Pitts Kyle Pitts Franchise tag official
Tue, Feb 24, 2026, 3:30 PM
The Falcons officially placed their franchise tag on Pitts on Tuesday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.
Analysis: The expected move prevents Pitts from reaching the open market in free agency, while he and the Falcons have until July 15 to negotiate a potential multi-year extension. Per McElhaney, the projected franchise tag value for tight ends in 2026 will be approximately $16 million. The 2021 first-rounder is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he recorded 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns (on 118 targets) in 17 games. |
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Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Will be released March 11
Tue, Feb 24, 2026, 8:45 AM
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday that the team has informed Cousins he will be released the first day of the new league year, March 11, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Cousins restructure his contract with Atlanta early August to provide the team increased cap flexibility at the cost of incentivizing a release sooner rather than later, making it so that the Falcons will owe him $67.9 million guaranteed if he were on the roster at the start of the new league year. Cunningham's comments confirm the writing on the wall, being finding a trade partner prior to that date is highly unlikely and the 37-year-old quarterback will be released. Quarterback-needy teams around the league may see Cousins as a candidate for a starting gig in 2026, while Atlanta will need to prioritize finding another reliable option at the position while Michael Penix (knee) works his way back from a torn left ACL for which he underwent surgery Nov. 25. |
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Kyle Pitts Kyle Pitts Expected to receive franchise tag
Mon, Feb 23, 2026, 12:07 PM
The Falcons are expected to designate Pitts with the franchise tag, retaining the impending free agent for the 2026 season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Atlanta will keep Pitts in house via the franchise tag, a one-year exclusive deal worth over $15 million for the 2026 campaign, rather than let the 2021 first-round pick reach the open market as a free agent. NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports that the team wants to retain Pitts via a long-term deal, and the franchise tag will allow both sides until mid-July to negotiate on a potential multi-year extension. New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Ian Cunningham appear to consider it a priority to keep around long term Pitts after he broke out with 88 catches, 928 yards and five touchdowns (118 targets) across 17 regular-season appearances in 2025, career-high marks across the board. |
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Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Expected to be cut by Atlanta
Sat, Feb 7, 2026, 4:04 PM
The Falcons are expected to cut Cousins before the new league year starts in March, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The Falcons worked with Cousins on Tuesday to restructure the veteran quarterback's contract by modifying the final two years of the deal to give Atlanta more cap flexibility and incentivize a release sooner rather than later, as Cousins would be slated to get $67.9 million guaranteed were he to be on the roster at the start of the league year. That leaves the Falcons with questions over who they will add to their quarterback room with Michael Penix (knee), while Cousins contemplates joining a team in 2026, including a reunion with the Vikings, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Cousins appeared in 10 regular-season games (eight starts) with Atlanta in 2025, when he completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. |
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Michael Penix Michael Penix Expects to be ready for Week 1
Thu, Jan 29, 2026, 1:06 PM
Penix (knee) said Wednesday he "look[s] forward to being back Week 1," but he added "we'll see" and noted that Atlanta's medical staff will have "the last word" on his recovery timetable, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis: Penix mentioned his familiarity with the process of rehabbing from ACL tears, as he suffered similar injuries twice during his collegiate career, both to his right knee. Currently, Penix is rehabbing from a torn left ACL for which he underwent surgery Nov. 25, roughly 9.5 months prior to Week 1 of the 2026 campaign. That places Week 1 squarely within the typical 9-to-12-month recovery timetable for ACL tears, albeit on the earlier end of the scale. Per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site, new head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Tuesday that Penix already has resumed "attacking his rehab" at the team's training facility. Stefanski expressed excitement about Penix as "a young player who will continue to develop and continue to get better." Meanwhile, veteran Kirk Cousins is the only other quarterback under contract with Atlanta for 2026, though he reworked his deal with the team in early January in a maneuver that likely will result in either another restructure or his release prior to March 13, per Field Yates of ESPN. |
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Charlie Woerner Charlie Woerner Catches eight passes in 2025
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 11:39 AM
Woerner caught eight of nine targets for 48 yards across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Analysis: Despite operating as the Falcons' No. 2 tight end and logging a career-high 562 offensive snaps, the 28-year-old was targeted just nine times this season. Woerner's high snap count was largely a byproduct of Atlanta running the second-highest percentage of plays out of 12-personell (38.2 percent) in the NFL, as he was primarily used as a blocker. He remains under contract through the 2026 season, and with Kyle Pitts set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Woerner could compete for the Falcons' top TE spot next year. |
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Casey Washington Casey Washington Minimal output in reserve role
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 11:31 AM
Washington caught six of 14 targets for 94 yards across seven regular-season games in 2025.
Analysis: After being limited primarily to special-teams work during his rookie campaign (47 special-teams snaps and nine on offense), Washington logged a career-high 180 offensive snaps in 2025. Across his first two NFL seasons, the Illinois product has caught seven of 16 targets for 108 yards while operating as a depth piece in the Falcons' wide receiver room. Washington remains under contract through the 2027 season and is expected to retain a similar role for Atlanta next year. |
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Nathan Carter Nathan Carter Minimal offensive work in 2025
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 11:22 AM
Carter rushed nine times for 60 yards across seven regular-season games in 2025.
Analysis: Carter, an undrafted rookie from Michigan State, was active for just seven games this season, as he was buried behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the Falcons' backfield. Seven of Carter's nine carries on the season came in the Week 3 loss to the Panthers, a game in which Atlanta was shutout. With Allgeier set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Carter could have the opportunity to compete for the Falcons' No. 2 running back role ahead of the 2026 season. |
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Dylan Drummond Dylan Drummond Plays depth role in Atlanta
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 11:14 AM
Drummond caught seven of 11 targets for 42 yards across nine regular-season games in 2025. Additionally, he accumulated 110 kick return yards.
Analysis: Prior to his 2025 campaign with the Falcons, Drummond had appeared in just one NFL game with the Lions in 2023. He logged a career-high 121 offensive snaps and played a depth role in Atlanta's receiving corps, averaging 6.0 yards per reception. The Eastern Michigan product also showed value as a return man late in the season, recording 85 kick return yards across the Falcons' last two regular-season contests. Drummond is under contract through the 2026 season, so he'll likely maintain a similar role next year. |
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David Sills David Sills Career year in 2025
Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 11:10 AM
Sills caught 18 of 36 targets for 191 yards and two touchdowns across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Analysis: The 29-year-old wideout came on late in the season, accumulating 126 receiving yards across the Falcons' last four regular-season contests. He finished the year as Atlanta's fifth-leading receiver, trailing Drake London (919 yards) and Darnell Mooney (443 yards) in the WR corps. Sills is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but a return to Atlanta remains possible, as the team's receiver depth is thin outside of London and Mooney. |
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Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Reworks contract with Atlanta
Tue, Jan 6, 2026, 11:38 AM
Cousins agreed Tuesday to restructure the final two seasons of his four-year, $180 million contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: As part of the restructure, Cousins agreed to reduce his base salary for the 2026 season from a non-guaranteed $35 million to 2.1 million, but the amended deal doesn't necessarily mean that the veteran quarterback will stick around with Atlanta through the upcoming season. Cousins is still guaranteed $67.9 million for the 2027 season, with that money scheduled to vest March 13, the third day of the new league year. Given that Atlanta nor any other team would have interest in being tied to Cousins at that amount of money in 2027, the 37-year-old signal-caller may have to agree to another restructure in order to avoid being designated for a post-June 1 release. After opening the 2025 season in a backup role, Cousins reclaimed the starting job for the Falcons' final seven games after Michael Penix (knee) tore his ACL in Week 11. In his 10 total appearances, Cousins completed 166 of 269 pass attempts (61.7 percent) for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while tacking on another rushing touchdown. |
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Chris Blair Chris Blair Sticking around Atlanta
Mon, Jan 5, 2026, 6:49 PM
The Falcons signed Blair to a reserve/future contract Monday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official website reports.
Analysis: Blair spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign as a member of the practice squad with Atlanta, appearing in three contests in December. The wide receiver played 12 snaps on offense in those games, failing to record any stats on those snaps. Blair will now get an opportunity to train with the Falcons during the offseason, and he'll look to impress in order to attempt to get a shot with the active roster in 2026. |
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Tyler Allgeier Tyler Allgeier Career-high eight TDs in 2025
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 10:21 PM
Allgeier rushed seven times for 16 yards and caught one of two targets for three yards in Sunday's win over New Orleans.
Analysis: After rushing 137 times for 644 yards and three touchdowns across 17 appearances last season, Allgeier handed essentially the same amount of carries in 2025, finishing with a 143-514-8 rushing line. He added 14 catches for 96 scoreless yards. Allgeier's eight touchdowns marked a new career high for the 25-year-old, who handled a sizable chunk of the goal-line work for Atlanta. After spending four seasons with the Falcons, Allgeier is scheduled to be a free agent in the offseason. There's a chance he could land a starting job elsewhere as an early-down back. |
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Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney Quiet end to disappointing season
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 10:06 PM
Mooney caught three of seven targets for 20 yards in the Falcons' Week 18 win over the Saints.
Analysis: Mooney suffered a shoulder injury during training camp, and his season never got off the ground following his Week 2 debut. After posting a 64-992-5 receiving line on 106 targets last season, Mooney's numbers took a big hit across the board, as he finished 2025 with 32 catches for 443 yards and one touchdown across 15 appearances. Mooney is under contract through 2026 on an inflated $10.97 million salary. The Falcons are likely to clean house somewhat after firing both GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris following Sunday's win over New Orleans. Mooney will turn 29 years old next fall. |
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Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Serviceable finish to season
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 4:30 PM
Cousins completed 18 of 32 passes for 180 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding three carries for no gain in the Falcons' 19-17 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Analysis: Cousins, who was dealing with an illness that came on overnight, averaged a modest 5.6 yards per attempt and took four sacks, so it wasn't the smoothest of afternoons for the veteran signal-caller. However, Cousins was able to fire a 15-yard touchdown pass to Drake London late in the first quarter, and he displayed his usual chemistry with both his No. 1 receiver and tight end Kyle Pitts. Cousins opened the season with a bleak fantasy outlook and uncertain future as the No. 2 quarterback behind Michael Penix (IR, knee), but the former started the final seven games (and eight overall). Cousins completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards with a 10:5 TD:INT while adding 14 rushes for seven yards and another score across 10 appearances overall. Penix should have a solid chance of being ready for the start of the 2026 regular season, while Cousins remains under contract with the Falcons through the 2027 campaign. |
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Kyle Pitts Kyle Pitts Productive in season finale
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 4:09 PM
Pitts secured six of nine targets for 58 yards in the Falcons' 19-17 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Analysis: The veteran tight end played a key role in a Falcons victory that made the Panthers the NFC South champions in the process, leading the way in both receptions and targets on the afternoon while also securing the ball on New Orleans' last-ditch onside-kick attempt. Pitts' Week 18 performance put a fitting cap on a strong stretch run that saw him record at least six receptions and 57 yards in five of his final six games. Pitts wrapped up the 2025 regular season with a well-timed 88-928-5 receiving line across 17 games, and both his reception and touchdown totals qualified as career-high figures with unrestricted free agency looming this offseason. |
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Drake London Drake London Closes out season strong
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 3:59 PM
London secured four of eight targets for 78 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 19-17 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Analysis: Despite managing his ongoing knee issue, London set the pace for the Falcons in receiving yards on the afternoon while checking in second in both receptions and targets. The talented wideout added his seventh touchdown catch of the season on a 15-yard grab with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter. London was on pace for a career-best season before his injury cost him four games, but he still wrapped up his fourth campaign with a 68-919-7 line across 12 contests while averaging a career-high 13.5 yards per reception. |
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Bijan Robinson Bijan Robinson Bottled up in season-ending win
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 3:46 PM
Robinson rushed 15 times for 33 yards and brought in all three targets for 10 yards in the Falcons' 19-17 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Analysis: Fresh off a memorable 195-yard effort on the ground against the Rams on Monday night, Robinson was stonewalled -- albeit while having a rushing touchdown called back due to an offensive holding penalty -- by a Saints defense that had frequently been vulnerable to the run over the course of the season. Robinson's yardage tally on the ground was his lowest since Week 8, but despite Sunday's downturn, the 2023 first-round pick finished the 2025 campaign with a career-high 1,478 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns and a career-best 79-820-4 receiving line while playing in all 17 games for the second consecutive season. |
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Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney Cleared to play Sunday
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 10:48 AM
Mooney (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Analysis: Mooney has received the green light to play in the season finale after he was listed as questionable heading into Sunday following a trio of limited practices during the week. Though the Atlanta coaching staff hasn't specifically mentioned that Mooney will be on a restricted snap count Sunday, fantasy managers should be cognizant that the wideout could face more playing-time risk than usual since the 7-9 Falcons are eliminated from playoff contention and have little at stake in Week 18. Like Mooney, starting receiver Drake London (knee) and tight end Kyle Pitts (knee) were also listed as questionable following Friday's practice but will be available to play in some capacity. |
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