Penix and Tagoavailoa are on the list.

Honorable mention: Kyle Pitts, Sr.

Let's examine all the possibilities of the quarterbacks!!

TUA TAGOVAILOA (MIA > ATL)

• 3 of 5 (60%), 22 yds, 0 TDs and 0 INTs with a FUMBLE!!!!
  • Has quick release and rhythm passing, experience, accuracy potential and understands what he's supposed to do (to me, NOT), BUT produces an UGLY FUMBLE, zero explosive production, didn't separate himself from the pack (too underwhelming) and small margin for error

COOPER RUSH (BAL > ATL) - Overall, Rush had the roughest performance ever out of Tagovailoa and Strand.

• 7 of 19 (36.8%), 62 yds, 0 TDs and 2 INTs. We all know he threw a pick six and another interception (absolutely unacceptable)
  • Has experience, style is generally conservative, has veteran presence (don't need a Marcus Mariota nor a Tyler Heinicke) and typically NFL backup, but he is a turnover machine, playmaking is very limited, looked absolutely worse and tiny margin for error

JACK STRAND (ROOKIE) - Strand finish strong and led the team with its only TD drive. He does showed impressive deep-ball ability (NOT BAD FOR A UNDRAFTED ROOKIE)

• 6 of 12 (50%), 50 yds, 0 TD and 0 INTs (1 Rushing TD). (It's a start)
  • Like Penix, Strand have deep ball ability, Has aggressiveness, mobility and escapability, confidence, and produced the offense's only touchdown (Tagovailoa and Rush didn't), but he is raw, needs to develop decision-making ASAP, got to have consistency and experience plus competition level

After seeing all three quarterbacks' performances last Friday, who is better? Who stays and whose goes?

No NEWS of the Carolina Little Black Kittens

From the Big Easy 'Aints: DT Bryan Bresee will undergo season-ending surgery for his torn ACL and WR Ja'Lynn Polk was placed on the reserve/retired list (MEANING He will be retiring)

No NEWS of the Tampa Bay Succaneers

Non NFC SOUTH news: Philadelphia Eagles cuts Ta'Quon Graham (The Falcons' 2021 5th round pick)

No love for the Dirty Birds, but that's ok!

Little Black Kitties (aka Carolina Panthers)

• It's official: WR Chris Brazzell II (knee) is placed on injured reserve

The Big Easy 'Aints (aka New Orleans Saints)

• It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday: Andrus Peat, former 13th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, is RETIRING official.

The Succaneers (aka Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

• DT Haggai Ndubuisi reverted to reserve/PUP list after being waived to due to failed physical

Carolina Panthers aka Black Little Kittens

• WR Chris Brazzell II suffered a moderate LCL tear in his left knee in Wednesday's practice and is expected to miss up to eight weeks
• WR Dan Chisena placed on injured reserve
• The Black Little Kittens “signed” Casey Washington

New Orleans Saints aka The ‘Aints

• Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is feared to have suffered a torn ACL
• TE Taysom Hill, who is a free agent, announced he is still weighing his playing future, but will not be returning to the Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers aka The Succaneers

• OT Tristan Wirfs sat out Wednesday's practice after tweaking his hamstring
• DT Vita Vea, who has requested a trade, is day to day after tweaking his back

 

Atlanta Falcons

Division: NFC South

2025 Record: 8-9; 3rd place finish in the division (via tiebreaker)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coaching Changes

Head Coach: Raheem Morris ---> Kevin Stefanski
Despite finishing with a strong four game win streak in the final weeks of the season, the Falcons were unable to appear in the playoffs in 2025, wrapping up an overall underwhelming year with Morris at the wheel. For many fans, Morris was a nothingburger of a head coach who, despite having plenty of experience coaching within both the team and league, couldn't string together a winning team even with the amount of fresh, young talent he had at his disposal. Pivoting from this lackluster tenure, the Falcons hired former Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski, who boasts two Coach of the Year awards (winning them in 2020 and 2023) and was able to turn a 6-10 Browns team to an 11-5 record and a divisional round appearance in just one season. Although Falcons fans are no strangers to false optimism, and even if he wasn't the first or second choice within the fandom during the team's HC search, Stefanski has both the expertise and the history to spark even just a little bit of possible hope among fans, though of course only time will tell. Personal Grade: B+

Offensive Coordinator: Zac Robinson ---> Tommy Rees
Arguably the most necessary change needed for the coaching staff after 2025, the Falcons made the decision to let go of offensive playcaller Zac Robinson in favor of Stefanski's colleague: former Cleveland Browns OC Tommy Rees. While offensive coordinators typically receive less attention and debate than the head coaching position above, it'll be extra interesting to see how the Falcons offense performs this season with Rees' first time calling the shots on offense. That's right, this season is projected to be the first full season in which Tommy Rees will call offensive plays for his team under Stefanski, given that Stefanski has had a history of relinquishing playcalling duties to the OC whenever the team isn't doing so hot. While Rees has only a 3-7 record as offensive coordinator leading into this year, I consider it very unfair to make big assumptions about a coordinator with a sample size under one season, especially when he had to deal with one of the weakest offensive groups in recent history. While the verdict is still yet to be decided for Rees, there is a glimmer of hope considering that he'll have running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts to work with. Personal Grade: C

Special Teams Coordinator: Marquice Williams ---> Craig Aukerman
After having what was statistically one of the worst special teams corps in the team's recent history, the Falcons made the decision to fire Marquice Williams in favor of Craig Aukerman, who boasts a very long and impressive track record for a special teams coach. Although it is a bit nonsensical to blindly tether stats like FG% or kicking yards to the coach, there is reason to have some optimism seeing that Aukerman has seemingly performed well in special teams, given that PFF ranked him in the top 10 for STC grades in 2023 and 2nd overall the year prior. It also helps Aukerman's stock considering that the Falcons special teams group played a non-inconsequential role in losing the team some games in 2025. Even if it is somewhat nitpicky to try and evaluate just how much influence an STC will have over his kickers and punters, it can only really go up from here. Personal Grade: B-

Offensive Line Coach: Dwayne Ledford ---> Bill Callahan
Admittedly, I am one of the last guys to rely on when it comes to detailed opinions regarding the o-line. However, from what I've seen and read, Bill Callahan was one of the best hires this team could have hoped for when it came to coaching the trenches. Having been someone with experience as an OL coach dating all the way back to 1984, Callahan is without a doubt one of the most experienced and aware coaches in the sport. It's incredibly common for a head coach to want to bring the rest of his personnel over to his new team, and while many will argue that Callahan is overrated and that the Titans and Browns regressed under his coaching, sometimes even the best coaches can't salvage a roster if it truly is that bad or old. Even if I don't have much knowledge regarding the offensive line position, I have reason to believe in this hire. Personal Grade: A-

Wide Receiver Coach: T.J. Yates ---> Robert Prince
In place of T.J. Yates, the Falcons also brought in Robert Prince to be the team's new WR coach. Like Callahan, Prince is an older coach who has spent decades in the NFL serving in numerous offensive coaching positions, including the job of offensive assistant for the Falcons in 2004-2005. Prince also was the WR coach for the Detroit Lions in 2019, where he guided Kenny Golladay to his second 1,000 receiving yard season, making him the first player in Lions history to record two 1,000 yard receiving seasons within three years. With a WR1 like Drake London, an interesting rookie in Zachariah Branch, and extra bodies like Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus, Prince will have plenty of young talent to coach and guide within the Stefanski offense. Personal Grade: A-

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Free Agency

Notable Players Lost/Cut:

Player	Position	New Team
Darnell Mooney	WR	New York Giants
Kaden Elliss	LB	New Orleans Saints
Arnold Ebiketie	EDGE	Philadelphia Eagles
Dee Alford	CB	Buffalo Bills
Tyler Allgeier	RB	Arizona Cardinals
Zane Gonzalez	K	Miami Dolphins
Bradley Pinion	P	Miami Dolphins

Darnell Mooney - After a 2025 season that ended with less than 500 receiving yards for Mooney due to a broken collarbone during training camp (which inexplicably was kept under wraps until November), the Falcons made the decision to release their WR2 shortly after the season ended. Mooney would go on to sign a 1 year, $10 million contract with the New York Giants, and although the Falcons wide receiver depth did take a hit with his exit, it was clear to many fans that Mooney was not going to be able to live up to expectations.

Kaden Elliss - In the final year of his contract, Elliss put up what ultimately was an okay season statistically, though there was a noticeable decline in his stats compared to 2023 and 2024. With this slow decline and his age just passing the 30 year mark, the Falcons decided not to resign Elliss and instead allowed him to walk into free agency. Elliss would go on to sign a 3 year, $33 million contract to join the New Orleans Saints for a second time.

Arnold Ebiketie - Even though he had two relatively impressive seasons prior to 2025 (mainly in the sack column, totaling 6 sacks in both 2023 and 2024), Ebiketie had a sharp decline in the one stat that was essentially keeping him on the team. After making only just 2 sacks in 2025, the Falcons decided to cut Arnold in favor of the newer additions they made to the defense via the draft.

Dee Alford - Despite putting up the best season of his career in 2025, Alford was let go by the Falcons in the offseason partially due to the fact that he did not appear to be a long term answer at CB2 for the team. Alongside that, Alford is physically undersized and hasn't accomplished a whole lot with the team outside of 2025, making him less and less appealing to the front office in a position that, while crucial, is not shallow enough to make Alford appear irreplaceable.

Tyler Allgeier - In a move that wasn't exactly shocking or out of the blue, yet still saddening and rough, the Falcons made the decision to release their RB2 Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier served as a decent second option, particularly in situations where a smashmouth player was needed to gain a handful of yards, but the team's focus on the run game has shifted towards Bijan Robinson. Given the opposite styles between Bijan's agile versatility and Allgeier's bruising toughness, the Falcons have opted for the latter given that Bijan is one of the best offensive weapons they've had in recent history.

Zane Gonzalez - While he did show promise in the short stint he had in Atlanta, Gonzalez was cut by the Falcons due to the team's tiredness of cycling between kickers every other week (having started Younghoe Koo, Parker Romo, and Gonzalez all in one season).

Bradley Pinion - Alongside Gonzalez, Pinion was cut by the Falcons despite being a longtime punter mostly in part due to the fact that the new special teams coordinator, Craig Aukerman, comes from the Dolphins. As a result, players that served under Aukerman's tenure have gotten more eyeballs while the current roster is being shipped out.

Notable Players Gained/Signed:

Player	Position
Tua Tagovailoa	QB
Jahan Dotson	WR
Olamide Zaccheaus	WR
Nick Folk	K
Jake Bailey	P
Brian Robinson Jr.	RB

Tua Tagovailoa - Although the team does seem generally set on Michael Penix Jr. being the franchise quarterback, a solid QB is going to be needed to fill in for him for the first few weeks, or at least serve as a high-end backup. Enter Tua Tagovailoa, who has become a pretty polarizing figure in the Falcons fandom given that while he is one of the best options for us in such a scenario, many fans don't like his concussion history or the fact that he hasn't played a full season since 2023. Personally, I'm in the more optimistic camp and believe that this team can mesh around Tua pretty well, but only time will tell.

Jahan Dotson - Dotson is an addition to the team that, at the very least, provides an ounce of WR depth that this team has struggled with for a while. Even if he's not flashy or holds any statistical anomalies, Dotson is still relatively young and, as a result, holds the possibility of learning Stefanski's scheme quickly and growing under that.

Olamide Zaccheaus - The Falcons signed Olamide Zaccheaus this offseason for the same reason they signed Dotson: a cheap, easy to add WR to serve as depth for the receiving core. What helps the merit of this signing is that Zaccheaus actually spent his first four seasons here in Atlanta, and while things have changed quite a bit between 2019 and 2026, it's always nice to have a familiar face in the organization.

Nick Folk - After the 2025 season had finally ended, so did the Falcons' carousel of kickers that all started with the release of Younghoe Koo. Even though Zane Gonzalez was sufficient in his work for the few weeks the team had him, Atlanta's front office opted for one of if not the best kicker in the league. That kicker was Nick Folk, who had a 96.6 FG% in 29 attempts, with his only missed kick of 2025 being a 55 yard field goal against, ironically, the Falcons. In any case, Folk was the best possible option for the team this offseason when it comes to replacement kickers, and fans should be able to feel a sense of security given his veteran track record and ability to nail nearly every kick he needs to.

Jake Bailey - As stated before, the Falcons have been looking to revamp their special teams unit with the introduction of a new coordinator, and because of that the team signed former Dolphins punter Jake Bailey this offseason. To be completely fair, comparing punters to each other isn't exactly as cut and dry as other positions on the field, but Bailey has outperformed Pinion in many noticeable stats during the 2025 season.

Brian Robinson Jr. - The man that will be the bane of many fantasy owners' drafts this season, Brian Robinson Jr. fills in the shoes of Tyler Allgeier this upcoming season as the new RB2 behind Bijan Robinson. While the splits between the two Robinsons may differ given Brian's past usage rates (specifically with the Commanders), it's easy to imagine that Brian Robinson Jr. will serve as a cheaper alternative that still plays the rough-and-tough style of Tyler Allgeier, getting some extra yards and maybe vulture TDs if the situation calls for such.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Draft

Round.Pick	Player	Position	College
2.48	Avieon Terrell	CB	Clemson
3.79	Zachariah Branch	WR	Georgia
4.134	Kendal Daniels	LB	Oklahoma
6.208	Anterio Thompson	DT	Washington
6.215	Harold Perkins Jr.	LB	LSU
7.231	Ethan Onianwa	OT	Ohio State

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Schedule Prediction

Week	Opponent	Result
1	@ Pittsburgh	W
2	vs. Carolina	W
3	@ Green Bay	L
4	@ New Orleans	W
5	vs. Baltimore	L
6	vs. Chicago	L
7	vs. San Francisco	W
8	@ Tampa Bay	L
9	vs. Cincinnati (neutral)	L
10	vs. Kansas City	W
11	BYE	N/A
12	@ Minnesota	W
13	vs. Detroit	L
14	@ Cleveland	W
15	@ Washington	W
16	vs. Tampa Bay	L
17	vs. New Orleans	W
18	@ Carolina	L

Final 2026 Record Projection: 9-8; 2nd in the NFC South and a Wild Card spot

https://preview.redd.it/r5mads2idsfh1.png?width=1064&format=png&auto=webp&s=832ace6d6c7647afc7344601ceca80a8d732b36a

Drake is in the top 10 at number 10