ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons' opening loss at Pittsburgh only added more uncertainty to the quarterback question that has persisted since the start of training camp.
Cooper Rush's performance in the Falcons' 20-13 loss to the Steelers on Sunday had some fans wondering why undrafted rookie Jack Strand wasn't given an opportunity and more fans asking when Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will be ready to play. Rush threw two interceptions, including T.J. Watt's pick-6 in the fourth quarter. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Rush was named the starter on Friday after Tagovailoa was ruled out with an oblique injury. Rush started despite having back spasms on Saturday. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Rush was close to full health, but the conservative game plan with an emphasis on short passes placed too much of a burden on running back Bijan Robinson.
Stefanski said Monday he had no update on Tagovailoa or on Penix, who did not play in the preseason as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season. Penix was cleared for full team drills late in training camp.
Both Tagovailoa and Penix were inactive against the Steelers, and it is not known if either will return for next Sunday's home opener against Carolina.

#penix #steelers #loss #training

UPDATE: 9:38 a.m. Saturday
A lot has happened since our early posting this week. The biggest injury news is the meniscus tear suffered by the No. 1 tight end, the Raiders' Brock Bowers. He will miss Week 1, and at least a couple of weeks after that.
The season-opening game proved painful for New England star receiver A.J. Brown. He's now on injured reserve.with a high-ankle sprain that will sideline him at least a month.
Several questionable players are more likely to play this week. Arizona rookie RB Jeremiyah Love and Las Vegas sophomore Ashton Jeanty are now expected to start, as is Chicago wideout Rome Odunze. And while Giants WR Malik Nabers is playing it coy, he should be on the field tomorrow night against Dallas.
Cooper Rush will now quarterback Atlanta thanks to injuries to Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa. That might turn out to be good news for top Falcons performers Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts.

#raiders

Falcons news: Which legendary RB did Bijan Robinson study to improve? appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons will be without projected starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for Sunday's Week 1 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which could mean a bigger dose of star running back Bijan Robinson in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees' attack.
Robinson is hoping for a stellar season under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who added an exciting new wrinkle to the Falcons' offense that Robinson believes plays to his strengths. Back-to-back 1,400-plus yard seasons have inspired confidence in Robinson, but the Falcons running back has bigger goals.
He spoke on Friday about the player he patterned his game after, name dropping one of the NFL's all-time greats on ESPN's This is Football show.
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#bijan

It's Week 1 of the fantasy football season, and while we're not dealing with any bye weeks yet, we're always dealing with injuries. Players you drafted a few weeks ago could be a bit banged up by this point. This will be a weekly piece where I look at readily available players to grab and drop into your lineups.
*Streamers are players who are rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo! leagues.
Shough and the Saints visit the Detroit Lions, where we see a big 49.5 over/under. Shough posted 18 fantasy points or more in each of his final six games last season, pretty darn good for a player rostered in only 40% of leagues this season. The Lions allowed the 9th most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks last season (18.2) and have a bad secondary, putting Shough in a good spot.
With Tua Tagovailoa potentially out for Week 1, the Falcons might get back to basics and aim for a run-heavy game. Of course, Bijan Robinson leads the way, but there's no reason for the Falcons to run him into the ground in Week 1.
It's a lower total vs. the Steelers, but a few carries and a vulture at the goal line is a path to production for Brian Robinson.

#robinson

Favorite: Pittsburgh -5.5
Game Total: 41.5
Implied Point Total: Pittsburgh 23.5, Atlanta 18
RB Bijan Robinson
As the consensus 1.02 in fantasy drafts, Robinson rushed for almost 1,500 yards and added 820 yards through the air on 79 receptions last season with 11 total touchdowns. Clearly, he's the focal point of the Falcons' offense along with Drake London. Entering his age-24 season in 2026, Robinson is clearly in his prime production window. In his three seasons, Robinson hasn't missed a single game — yes, we're counting the one game where Arthur Smith weirdly played him during "migraine-gate" in 2023.

#yards

It's the news that seemed expected after the Tua Tagovailoa practice video on Thursday: Cooper Rush will step up and start on Sunday for the Atlanta Falcons as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The tough part in fantasy football is that there's so much talent on the Falcons' roster. Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive, so it was going to be Tagovailoa tossing the ball to Kyle Pitts, Drake London and beyond. Now, it'll be Rush.
Let's dive in with some notes about some of those players as we get ready for the rest of the 2026 Week 1 slate:
Tagovailoa had his share of struggles this preseason, so it's not like you were upgrading London et al here. Rush will be fine... and there's a world in which maybe he's better?
Bijan Robinson is still RB2 or RB1 this week. Drake London might see enough volume to be a WR1-level scorer this week. Same goes for Kyle Pitts, who is just outside the top-five TEs this week.

#kyle #thursday

Both the Steelers and the Falcons have new coaching staffs heading into Week 1. It's safe to say both franchises will be looking to start their new era off on the right foot with a victory. I spoke with Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic to learn a bit about what's new with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kevin Knight: Well, now even Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup thanks to an oblique injury suffered during individual drills on Thursday. That means Cooper Rush at the helm (who, in truth, may not be any worse than Tua based on the aforementioned preseason). What you're going to see is a lot of quick game, and as much Bijan Robinson as the team can muster. If Atlanta can run the ball well and get Bijan going, they can score points. So that'll be the plan, with the passing game largely taking a complementary role until Michael Penix Jr. returns.
Kevin Knight: This is a good defense that will have to find ways to manufacture pass rush. Thankfully, Jeff Ulbrich is an evil genius with his blitz packages, and he's got a lot of interesting looks planned. Expect to see a lot of linebacker and slot blitzes to supplement their weaker edge rusher room, along with a lot of emphasis on interior pass rush. Atlanta has a really nice interior duo with Brandon Dorlus (who was leading all interior defensive linemen in the NFC with 8.5 sacks last season before injury) and trade acquisition Gervon Dexter Sr. They're hoping the interior can offset some of their weaknesses outside.
Kevin Knight: I like Kevin Stefanski and think it pretty much takes a miracle worker to extract any amount of success from the Cleveland Browns organization. It does seem like there's a coherent, forward-thinking plan in place for this Falcons team for the first time in years. I don't necessarily expect a lot of success in 2026 based on the moves made to this point and the way the team is structured, but I do expect Atlanta to be one of the most aggressive teams in free agency and the draft in 2027.
Kevin Knight: As I mentioned before, Brandon Dorlus is a borderline-elite interior pass rusher who may also get some run on the edge. Linebacker Divine Deablo was the biggest surprise in last year's free agent class and completely transformed the defense when he was on the field. Second-year safety Xavier Watts was a DROY candidate in 2025 and forms a dynamic duo with veteran Jessie Bates III. Atlanta will be starting two rookies on defense: Avieon Terrell (brother of A.J. Terrell) in the slot, and Kendal Daniels at linebacker. Both impressed in training camp, with Daniels being a particularly pleasant surprise given his Day 3 selection.

#expect

Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football ****** yst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players on here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Kyle Pitts Sr. @ PIT (Projected FPTS - 9.4): Despite the news of Cooper Rush likely being named the Week One starter, I am still high on Pitts. He finished last season as one of the top fantasy tight ends with Kirk Cousins under center. Besides, Atlanta doesn't really have many options for pass catchers after Bijan Robinson and Drake London, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski typically uses his tight ends. Pittsburgh is also a favorable matchup, allowing 11 touchdowns and the third-most points to the position last season.
Dallas Goedert vs. WSH (Projected FPTS - 8.5): Goedert finished last season with a career-high 11 touchdowns. While it's easy to ****** ume some regression, the Eagles traded A.J. Brown, and rookie wideout Makai Lemon is coming off a hamstring injury. Philly's passing attack will likely feature DeVonta Smith and Goedert for at least the early part of the season. He will take on a Commanders team that allowed 12 touchdowns the season before (tied for the second-most). Goedert should expect to see a fair share of targets, making him worth putting in your lineup.

#fantasy #touchdowns #projected

Cooper Rush is about as good of a third quarterback as you'll find in today's NFL, and is certainly one of the most experienced. That said, when you're staring down the barrel of starting your QB3 in Week 1 of the NFL season, something has gone terribly awry.
We'll get more updates tomorrow, but that seems like a real possibility after Tua Tagovailoa left practice today with what the injury report classified as an oblique injury. He was listed as a limited participant—because he did participate before he got injured!—but we have no idea how significant that injury is at this point.
11Alive's Reggie Chatman Jr. got footage of the injury and aftermath.
If Tua's fine, he's starting against the Steelers in Week 1. If not, Cooper Rush will take the start with Jack Strand as his backup, and it would not be stunning to see the increasingly snakebitten Falcons adding another veteran quarterback to the practice squad. Things are getting real grim, real fast.
If Rush is up, he'll be making his 17th career start. He's completed 364 of 596 passes for 3,766 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions with 62 rushing attempts for 20 yards. The Falcons will be a little more likely to attack downfield with Rush under center in theory, but in practice I imagine he'll get an ultra-conservative gameplan that features a lot of Bijan Robinson.

#real #cooper #falcons #starting

Falcons news: Bijan Robinson's text he's received from Matthew McConaughey is heartwarming appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons will be opening their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the hope is that their offense can take things to another level. That will depend on a lot of things, but one of the main factors will be Bijan Robinson, who has put himself in the conversation for the best running back in the league.
Outside of shaking and baking opposing defenders, Robinson also has a love for acting, and he's brought up numerous times that he has a friendship with Matthew McConaughey. When Robinson signed his latest extension, he mentioned that McConaughey was one of the people who reached out to congratulate him.
Since people know that, Kay Adams asked Robinson on her show what the most random text he's received from the actor was.
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#robinson #bijan

You're heading into your draft this weekend and you need all the advice you can get. That's where we come in. Yahoo fantasy football ******* yst Joel Smyth joined the Yahoo Discord channel for an AMA on Wednesday afternoon. He answered questions pertaining to upcoming drafts. Check out the recap below.
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Question: What RB has a favorable home stretch the last six games?
Smyth: A few that I know. Bijan Robinson, whole second half of the season is a crazy-good schedule from what it looks like right now, and Jeremiyah Love's playoff schedule as well. Saquon Barkley's up until the playoffs is another to add to Jonathan Taylor, some of the top RBs, which is nice. Hopefully those extremes stick!
Question: Who's a better start in the flex spot in a Full-PPR league: Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd or ******* ans WR Carnell Tate?

#fantasy #season #schedule #joel

The Pittsburgh Steelers completed the last of their roster cuts and moves to finalize their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season. But the legendary James Harrison is less than thrilled about one release.
Taking to social media to air out his frustrations, Harrison called out the Steelers for releasing veteran linebacker and fan-favorite Elandon Roberts.
"I hope we don't regret this cause I didn't see this coming in a million years," Harrison wrote via X. "You telling me you brought this man in as a camp body? Cause that's **** sure not what it sounded like was happening when he got here. We gon find out quick if this was a good decision or not in Week 1 vs Bijan though."
Harrison's frustrations were echoed by Steelers Nation, as Roberts won over the Pittsburgh fandom thanks to his high-motor, physical style of play during his two-year stint with the team from 2023 to 2024.
Roberts went on to leave the Steelers for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025, but ultimately returned to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal just a few weeks ago. It didn't take long for Roberts to impress fans once again, as the veteran defender made several huge plays during the preseason.

#steelers #roberts #pittsburgh #roster

Before impressing at Texas and becoming one of the NFL's best running backs, Atlanta Falcons superstar Bijan Robinson became one of the greatest high school athletes the state of Arizona has ever seen.
Robinson set an Arizona state record at Salpointe Catholic, rushing for 7,036 yards and scoring 114 total touchdowns during his time as a Lancer. On Thursday, the school announced that Robinson's No. 5 jersey will soon be retired:
"We're thrilled to announce that Salpointe will honor Bijan Robinson '20 by retiring his iconic No. 5 football jersey at our next school **** embly," the school announced via Instagram. "Even more exciting, Bijan will be joining us on campus for this special celebration! We can't wait to welcome him back to Salpointe and honor the incredible legacy he's created both on and off the field. Congratulations, Bijan. Once a Lancer, always a Lancer."
Robinson rushed for over 2,000 yards in each of his final three seasons. Earning Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year honors during his senior year, the class of 2020 standout rushed for 2,235 yards and 38 touchdowns while also hauling in 12 passes for 314 yards and three more scores. He averaged over 17 yards per carry that year and averaged more than 13 YPC across his 46-game career with the Lancers.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder was no under-the-radar recruit, either. He finished as the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 2 running back in the 2020 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies.

#salpointe #year #running

Not much was going right for the Chicago Bears in their 27-9 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. However, one thing they were able to do well was contain the Bengals' rushing attack.
In fact, Cincinnati was held to just 64 yards on 20 attempts, an average of just 3.2 yards per attempt. Head coach Ben Johnson said the success in run defense was a combination of multiple things including the linebackers, players in the secondary being active in stopping the run and gap integrity.
"We're just trying to get out of our stance and strike blocks," Johnson said. "Our linebackers are doing a good job communicating and filling gaps, and we have our little guys that are willing tacklers. I think they're doing a good job tackling in ******* e for the most part through two games so far."
Seeing Chicago find success defending the run was promising, especially for a game where the Bears struggled so much in every other area. Last season, the Bears were one of the worst run defenses in the league, allowing an average of five yards per carry, which was the fourth-worst in the NFL.
If there is one positive takeaway from the Bears' preseason game against the Bengals, it is that Chicago has depth pieces on the defense that can help stop the run which will be important for them this season as they have to face elite running backs such as Saquon Barkley with the Philadelphia Eagles, Bijan Robinson with the Atlanta Falcons, Jahmyr Gibbs twice with the Detroit Lions and James Cook with the Buffalo Bills.

#average

The NFL is back to monopolize our minds and, in some cases, our souls. There's really no such thing as an offseason for football in America, but if you have managed to avoid the NFL machine over the past six months, I'm here to help.
The preseason is the land of possibilities, ripe territory for hot takes and predictions. None of us have any idea what will actually unfold over the next six months. If most of these preseason predictions are destined to age poorly, we should at least get a solid playlist out of it. So, I took it upon myself to project all 32 teams' definitive theme songs for the 2026 NFL season.
Consider this your guide — a cheat sheet when you need a talking point at your next watch party — before the 2026 regular-season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9. Check it out below.
The Cardinals are in denial, and the kids are suffering. Marvin Harrison Jr. has been miserable since arriving in Arizona. Trey McBride lashed out at Cardinals fans, or the lack thereof, and later retracted his criticism. We'll see what happens with rookie sensation Jeremiyah Love, but he's already hurt. In the daunting NFC West, Arizona will string its marriage of convenience with Jacoby Brissett along for one more season, and we'll see what happens in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The Falcons boast Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts Sr., an extremely talented group of offensive weapons. But with Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, it won't matter in the end. It's really sad to watch Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa's bodies betray them. It also really stinks to consider Atlanta wasting another talented roster in the quarterback wilderness and missing the playoffs for a ninth straight season.

#cardinals #we 'll #predictions

The Atlanta Falcons may not be all that talented compared to the competition, at least if we're going by the new positional rankings from ESPN which have them placed 30th at quarterback and just 26th overall.
Where the Falcons are best they are truly special, though.
The latest evidence here is the top-25 players under 25 years old from Mike Jones at The Athletic, where two Atlanta stars made the cut and another earned an honorable mention.
Naturally, superstar running back Bijan Robinson ranked highest, coming in at No. 9 on his list, one spot below Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and one ahead of Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner.
"One of the best all-around weapons in the league, Robinson last season topped the 1,400-yard rushing mark for the second straight year, and he added 820 receiving yards on 79 catches. Robinson edged out Christian McCaffrey in all-purpose yards (2,298 to 2,126) to lead all offensive players."

#robinson #espn #mike

As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for another preseason game with the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, they undoubtedly have bigger fish to fry.
First and foremost at the moment is the ongoing status of superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. The tailback is currently dealing with undisclosed tightness and has missed a week of practice and running heading into Thursday night's exhibition, where he will obviously not play. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had to clarify that McCaffrey's status has nothing to do with dissatisfaction with his current contract, especially after recent monster extensions for Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.
So, what's the deal? When might McCaffrey actually come back to the 49ers?
For what it's worth, a return seems imminent. Why do I say that? Shanahan maintained that McCaffrey likely would've already practiced earlier this week if the 49ers weren't engaging in joint practices with the Chargers. But because those joint practices with other teams are so physical, the 49ers elected to remain cautious rather than unnecessarily push their arguably best player.
That timeline seems promising! After playing in just four games in 2024, McCaffrey came back and played in all 17 games last season for the 49ers. San Francisco is undoubtedly hoping his 2026 output resembles his 2025, not his disappointing 2024.

#running

Saquon Barkley was among a group of running backs who took part in a Zoom call in 2023 to discuss the depressed market for their position.
As recently as last season, Barkley was the only running back averaging more than $20 million annually. Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jonathan Taylor have all signed deals recently that put them at $22 million or more per season.
Barkley, who has an annual average of $20.6 million, ranks below all three now.
"I love it. That's how it's supposed to be," Barkley said Thursday, via Zach Berman of TheAthletic.com. "Christian [McCaffrey] did it before me. I did it after Christian. And now we have three in a row. I look forward to the next guys to do it. It was like that for every other position besides running back. You can see that coming back to life. Those guys are very deserving of it. They're ***** uva players, make a lot of impact in games for their teams. Their teams are different when they're not on the field. Hopefully in the next 5-10 years, it keeps going higher. That's how it's supposed to go."

#season

When I set out to write an NFL betting piece this weekend, I thought the topic would be the alt win-total market. I was going to explain what binomial distribution is and why it does not properly apply to win-total markets, creating some deviation that is worth exploiting.
However, when I looked at alt win-total markets for every team in both the over and under direction, the price was a ripoff. The books have adjusted those markets, therefore the tricks and tools once used to win can no longer be reasonably good advice. I looked at my own betting log and saw that I've only placed one alt win-total bet over the last three years (and it was in the NBA).
While plenty of alt win-total lines are going to win this season, honing in on the ones where the true probability exceeds the implied probability of the odds felt unreasonable given the prices. In fact, where the edges can be identified, there are probably more advantageous angles to attack with the same premise. So instead of forcing it, I shifted focus to season-long player props. Here are four season-long prop lines I really like.
Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 29, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Placing this bet pains me a little bit. I am such a big Robinson fan, and I started the offseason pretty bullish on the Atlanta Falcons.

#season #going

There's no contract drama lingering in the San Francisco 49ers' offseason despite speculation that running back Christian McCaffrey is missing practice for contractual reasons.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio on Monday pondered whether McCaffrey's "tightness" was a fake ailment designed to let him hold in while working on a new contract after the Detroit Lions paid Jahmyr Gibbs and Atlanta Falcons paid Bijan Robinson contracts worth north of $22 million annually. McCaffrey, who led the NFL in touches last season, is on a contract with no guaranteed money that averages $19 million per year.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport countered that speculation by reporting that McCaffrey is actually dealing with tightness and not holding in for a new contract. Rapoport indicated any contract talks earlier in the offseason between the 49ers and their star RB didn't get far.
It's not a surprise the 49ers are being extra cautious with McCaffrey on the injury front given how important he is to their team. That importance is also why McCaffrey might want a little extra money.
However, San Francisco has to be careful as McCaffrey enters his age 30 season with a history of missing massive chunks of the year after he leads the NFL in touches. He's done so twice prior to last season and played a combined seven games in the two ensuing years.

#rapoport #tightness

ESPN ranked Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs' deal as the fifth-best recent NFL contract extension.
Gibbs landed just behind Atlanta Falcons rusher Bijan Robinson (No. 3) and just ahead of Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (No. 7). The trio were the only running backs featured on the list.
After a short hold-in to begin training camp, Detroit signed Gibbs to a three-year, $67.5 million contract extension, with $51.5 million guaranteed. Incentives boost the potential value of the agreement to $75.75 million. The 24-year-old is young, elite, and unusually valuable as a pass catcher out of the backfield. This combination of traits makes him a rare, premium investment at the position.
Like Gibbs, Robinson features that unique combination of run and catch traits. The former Texas Longhorn ranked No. 1 in total scrimmage yards and earned a first-team All-Pro selection in 2025.
For the Lions, Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards on 243 carries last season, averaging 5.0 yards-per-carry and scoring 13 touchdowns. His Pro Football Focus overall grade of 85.6 was fifth-best among qualified backs. Taylor led the league in both rushing touchdowns (18) and total carries (323).

#running

The Atlanta Falcons registered their first unofficial game of the 2026 season, when they opened the Mercedes Benz Stadium up for a matchup against last year's AFC Finalist Denver Broncos.
Despite Michael Penix still not being cleared for full contact and Bijan Robinson also being held out, there was real excitement as new head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that the starters would play in the preseason in Atlanta for the first time in years.
That excitement was quickly dashed, however, as the Falcons found themselves down 24-0 at halftime, before mercifully going down with a whimper to the tune of a final scoreline of 27-7. This night showed that there was a lot of work still to do, with the regular season about a month away from kicking off.
This is a look at whose stock is pointing up after the first preseason game and whose is pointing down.
Jack Strand is looking to achieve the rare feat of becoming an undrafted rookie quarterback to make a 53-man NFL roster to start the season, and he looked by far the best quarterback that the Falcons deployed in this game. In fairness, it didn't take much to look better than Cooper Rush or Tua Tagovailoa (we'll get to them), but Strand looked like he belonged.

#strand

Tua Tagovailoa's Falcons debut on Friday showed that he and the rest of the Atlanta offense have some work to do.
Granted, it was a brief outing, with Tagovailoa only playing two series with the starters in Atlanta against the Denver Broncos, and it wasn't the full lineup. RB Bijan Robinson and RT Jawaan Taylor both sat out, and Drake London only played a few snaps.
But even against a good Denver defense that fielded some of its starting unit, the Falcons' offense showed little of the firepower they're hoping for in the regular season, with their three main playmakers back.
On Tagovailoa's first series, the Falcons went three and out. Tua dropped a shotgun snap that hit him squarely in the hands, leading to a sack, and they punted one play later.
The second series wasn't much better. The Broncos were getting pressure often, with Tagovailoa having to throw multiple passes away. He was hit hard on third down, which might have led head coach Kevin Stefanski to say no mas.

#denver #showed #only

A new chapter begins for the Atlanta Falcons tonight as they host the Denver Broncos in their first preseason game of the year. It's also the first game ever under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan.
Atlanta did a good job of locking up its best players with contract extensions this offseason (Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, Matthew Bergeron) but there hasn't been much excitement around the new players they've brought in.
At the top of the list are the team's top two draft picks, second-round cornerback Avieon Terrell and wide receiver Zachariah Branch. Both have been ranked among the NFL's top 100 rookies in a new list by Bleacher Report. Terrell came in at No. 43 in their rankings.
"The spot "in front" of Avieon Terrell on the Falcons depth chart is Mike Hughes, who is an experienced but below-average corner. Terrell is a competitor who showcases excellent zone coverage and plays bigger than his size. If he can snare the starting job opposite his brother, who wouldn't want to see that happen?!"
Terrell has shown some promise at training camp, including a pick off Tua Tagovailoa. However, he is dealing with an undisclosed injury that may keep him out of Friday night's preseason opener.

#terrell #avieon #game

It's fantasy football mock draft SZN. We completed a chaotic one on YouTube where I leaned heavily into RBs because there were two flex spots and the board just fell that way, but that was a very unique build. Today's team is far more standard for a full-PPR team. Let's dive in.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Here's a look at the full list of picks for the first 10 rounds of the Full-PPR, 12-team mock draft.
Round 1: I picked fourth overall, which is where I want to be in general. In this dream scenario, Puka Nacua fell to me despite me considering him the 1.01 in full-PPR formats. It'd be Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase, Jahmyr Gibbs and then Bijan Robinson for me at the top before a slight tier drop to Christian McCaffrey, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jonathan Taylor. That tier has slightly more risk or slightly less upside than the Big 4. What I wouldn't recommend is James Cook III at third overall, like my friend Aaron. In fact, Cook's lack of receiving profile keeps him out of my top-12 rankings entirely.
Round 2: After the star talents at RB get scooped up, my attention always goes to Brock Bowers in full-PPR re-draft formats. The drop-off at TE scoring after the top-eight this year is concerning, and I'm struggling to find breakout sleepers at the position. Bowers is uniquely set up for a 28% or higher target share while competing for looks with Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker. That's the difference between my Round 2 Bowers ranking and my Round 3 Trey McBride ranking. In general, I don't see any obvious fades in Round 2. I'm most skeptical of Omarion Hampton's workload and Ashton Jeanty's touchdown upside early in Round 2, but their upside is obvious. The lone true mistake in this mock draft is Kyren Williams at 2.23, given how much Blake Corum threatened him last year (I drafted Corum later in this draft).

#full #draft #nacua #corum

The young core of the Atlanta Falcons offense is the same this year as the last. WR1 Drake London, RB1 Bijan Robinson and TE1 Kyle Pitts have all re-signed, so they'll be around for at least the next few seasons.
The depth behind those skill positions has been radically changed this offseason, though. Matt Ryan brought back former Falcons receiver Olamide Zaccheaus and also signed Jahan Dotson and drafted Zachariah Branch at wide receiver.
At tight end Ryan re-signed ex-Falcons star Austin Hooper and at running back Brian Robinson Jr. has replaced Tyler Allgeier as the No. 2 behind Bijan Robinson. Free agent addition Tyler Goodson project as the RB3.
With all those new pieces it's difficult to predict how the rest of the pecking order will go in the passing game beyond the top three Musketeers. Pro Football Focus ****** yst Gordon McGuinness believes the fourth option may fall to rookie receiver Zachariah Branch.
"The concern is that Atlanta doesn't have much else to get excited about at the position. Free-agent additions Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus both earned PFF receiving grades below 60.0 and averaged fewer than 1.00 yards per route run in 2025. They do have Kyle Pitts at tight end and Bijan Robinson at running back, who combined for 213 targets last year, but don't be shocked to see rookie third-round draft pick Zachariah Brand finish fourth on this team in targets."

#falcons #bijan #zachariah #back

Atlanta's adding another veteran option to their running back group, signing Marietta native Trey Sermon to a one-year deal. Just because you have Bijan Robinson doesn't mean you can't worry about your depth.
Sermon was a third round pick for the 49ers in 2021 and followed a familiar trajectory for a 49ers reserve runner, dealing with injuries and ultimately falling out of favor as the team quickly cycled through options.
Sermon will join the Falcons hoping to battle Nate Carter, Cash Jones, and Tyler Goodson for the team's third back role behind Bijan and Brian Robinson. With Bijan unlikely to play much during preseason and Brian pretty locked in to his role, expect all four backs to get plenty of run in the first week of preseason and (if they all stick around) over the coming weeks as well. He wound up on the Eagles in his second season, spent two years with the Colts, and signed with the Steelers last season and now has 505 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go with 22 receptions for 138 yards.
With a good line—and the Falcons should once again have one—Sermon's physicality and speed can make him a fun reserve back, especially because he can catch the ball and block when called upon. To this point in his NFL career, the production has been underwhelming and he's struggled to find a home, but there is no locked-in third back in Atlanta and he should get a fair shot to show the role is his. With Cash Jones providing a lot of utility as a receiver and special teamer in camp, Carter having that intriguing breakaway speed, and Goodson doing a bit of everything well, though, Sermon will have to be sharp to get that chance.
Give him a warm welcome, and we may see him as soon as Friday night.

#falcons #cash

Earlier this week, Atlanta locked in Bijan Robinson with a 3-year extension worth up to $75 million.
The deal follows Robinson's standout production, including leading the NFL in scrimmage yards during the 2025 season. After signing Drake London and Kyle Pitts to long-term extensions earlier this offseason, Robinson's record-setting deal cements the three former first-round picks as the foundation of the Falcons offense.
Atlanta knows Robinson can lead the franchise and has decided to finish what it started building three years ago.
Every successful NFL team eventually reaches the same challenges. Drafting stars and keeping them together can prove difficult, yet the Falcons have now accomplished both.

#atlanta #earlier #bijan #london

It's clear that both Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs wanted to get to $25 million in new-money APY on their new contracts. Both can do it, but only by reaching their full upside packages.
After the Falcons gave running back Bijan Robinson a deal with a value of $22.25 million per year, the Lions weren't inclined to do much more. In the end, Gibbs got a slight ****** p over Robinson.
The problem with a hold-in is that it has to end at some point, because the season eventually starts. And both the team and the player need the player to be ready to go.
For Gibbs, who had more "old money," the three-year, $67.5 million deal combines with his existing $17.476 million to create a five-year, $84.976 million contract. The per-year average from signing is $16.99 million. (Robinson's five-year deal has an average of $16.36 million.)
We'll have a full breakdown of the Gibbs terms. The Robinson terms are here.

#million #running #lions

This evening football will finally return to our TV sets, as the NFL's first preseason game of the year kicks off between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals in the annual Hall of Fame game.
Later this week on Saturday afternoon the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will take place in Canton, Ohio - as the class of 2026 officially enters the hall. That includes Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig.
As for the Atlanta Falcons, there are a few potential future Hall of Famers currently on the roster, according to ESPN - where Bill Barnwell has running back Bijan Robinson alone in the "Keep it up" tier for Atlanta:
"The Hall loves its running backs, and Robinson has been among the best in the league across his three-year career. The explosive plays that had curiously been missing from Robinson's profile appeared last season, and he nearly doubled his receiving totals from 2023 and 2024 with an 820-yard campaign in 2025. If Robinson can stay at or near this level while remaining healthy, he will earn a trip to Canton."
Barnwell also has three others in the "work to do" category in order to eventually make the Hall. That includes right guard Chris Lindstrom, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.

#atlanta #barnwell