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

10 years ago, the Atlanta Falcons took the NFL by the blindside, going on a roll through the NFC playoffs and making it all the way to the Super Bowl. While Matt Ryan, Kyle Shanahan and their league-best scoring offense gets most of the credit, Atlanta wouldn't have won the conference without the contributions of four rookie starters on defense.
If the Falcons are going to prove all the negative narratives wrong in 2026, they could definitely use some surprise contributions from their rookie class. It sounds like at least one rookie is in the mix to start on defense.
According to Marc Raimondi at ESPN, the team's fourth-round draft pick, former Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels has a legitimate shot to wind up starting next to Divine Deablo.
"The Falcons have trusted him with the green dot at times this summer because of injuries, and Daniels has a legitimate shot at starting at inside linebacker alongside Divine Deablo."
Daniels has looked impressive during the preseason, establishing a physical style and showing sharp instincts against the run. Daniels may not be the only rookie linebacker to see significant playing time in 2026, though. Here's what Raimondi had to say about sixth-round pick, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. out of LSU.

#rookie #atlanta #deablo

The Atlanta Falcons beat up the Indianapolis Colts like they owed them money in Friday's 34-6 preseason win, dominating on both offense and defense in a game that featured few starters on either side. Despite it being a preseason game, Atlanta's young players gave the coaches plenty to think about one week from roster cut day.
Several rookies stood out, including linebacker Kendal Daniels, running back Cash Jones and quarterback Jack Strand. Daniels has been ascending over the last few weeks as he competes for the other starting linebacker job next to Divine Deablo.
The former fourth-round pick earned an elite Pro Football Focus grade in Saturday's preseason blowout against the Colts. Daniels' 90.1 grade was the third-highest overall score on the team.
Unfortunately, Daniels was outdone by his primary competition for a starting job. Linebacker Christian Harris earned a 90.8 to lead all defensive players in the game. Check out the team's top-five defensive PFF grades below.
LB Christian Harris: 90.8

#harris #players

A big unknown this season for the Atlanta Falcons is their linebacker unit. Divine Deablo will lead the group, having inherited the green dot role from Kaden Elliss, now back with the New Orleans Saints.
Aside from that, it's difficult to say how this unit will look in 2026.
On paper, Christian Harris looks like the other starter at this position, but that's far from certain. The Falcons do have two promising rookies who may eventually inherit big roles for Atlanta's defense, in Oklahoma's Kendal Daniels and LSU's Harold Perkins.
Daniels and Perkins made their NFL debuts this past Friday night against the Denver Broncos, and Perkins was mic'd up for the occasion. Watch.
Perkins (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) totaled five interceptions, 10 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, 17 sacks and 220 combined tackles (35.5 for a loss) during his time at LSU.

#orleans

Atlanta banking on Bates-Watts tandem to spark more takeaways in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Falcons believe they have one of the NFL's premier safety tandems, and veteran linebacker Divine Deablo isn't shy about saying it.
Speaking during training camp, Deablo praised the pairing of Jessie Bates III and rising star Xavier Watts, calling them the best safety duo in football. It's a bold statement, but one the Falcons hope will prove true as they enter the 2026 season with one of the league's most talented defenses.
Bates has already established himself as one of the NFL's elite defensive backs. Since arriving in Atlanta, he has consistently been the leader of the secondary, combining outstanding instincts with the ability to create game-changing turnovers.
The excitement, however, continues to grow around Watts.

#atlanta #deablo #preferred #divine

The Atlanta Falcons have a few big question marks on defense as they prepare for their preseason opener next week. With linebacker Jalon Walker officially out for the season due to a torn ACL, and James Pearce Jr. facing a possible suspension, Atlanta's pass rush may have trouble replicating last year's success.
The team has gone through its first seven training camp practices, but there are a few other starting spots on defense that remain unsettled. Billy Bowman Jr. is on the active PUP list as he works his way back from an Achilles injury, while Zach Harrison is on the active non-football injury list.
The Falcons are still working out their nickel rotation, and considering the severity of Bowman's injury, I could see the team being cautious with their projected starter going into Week 1. Even though I believe rookie Avieon Terrell will ultimately play on the outside, it wouldn't surprise me if he fills in for Bowman to start the season.
Harrison is not dealing with as severe of an injury, and I think he could be cleared by Week 1. At linebacker, Divine Deablo is set to wear the green dot, but there's still some uncertainty at the other starting spot.
Christian Harris appears to be the first in line, but don't sleep on rookies Kendal Daniels or Harold Perkins for this spot. With all of that said, here's a look at our projected Week 1 starting lineup for the Falcons defense.

#injury #starting

The Atlanta Falcons are taking training camp to another level this week. On Monday, the players put on pads for the first time and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took a step in the right direction as he recovers from a minor back injury.
Even though the team is easing Tagovailoa back into the mix, he made progress by competing in 11-on-11s to begin the week. Michael Penix Jr. remains limited to 7-on-7 drills, but he clearly isn't taking the competition lightly in the meantime.
The former Washington Huskies QB made a perfect throw for a long touchdown to rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who ****** ody seems to have an answer for. Meanwhile, rookie Jack Strand is making the most of his QB1 reps and earning the respect of his teammates along the way.
The Falcons have been rotating players at a few key positions on defense, including the nickel and inside linebacker spots. It will be interesting to see who ultimately starts next to Divine Deablo, but Christian Harris seems like the most likely candidate for Jeff Ulbrich's base defense at the moment.
Watch highlights from Monday's padded practice, as shared by the Falcons' YouTube channel - along with some additional clips that we've rounded from social media below.

#taking #back

The Atlanta Falcons were somewhat careless with their money during the last few seasons under former general manager Terry Fontenot. While fans will likely never get over the team giving Kirk Cousins $100 million before drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. one month later, Fontenot had some free-agent hits as well.
The Falcons signed star safety Jessie Bates III, who has been stellar over three seasons in Atlanta. Those around the league scoffed after the team signed Divine Deablo last year, but the veteran linebacker was among the best defensive players on the roster.
Cornerback Mike Hughes has been solid and Darnell Mooney looked like a steal after his first season with the team. However, current Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham was hamstrung by the mistakes Fontenot made, and could only sign bargain-level free agents in the offseason.
Cunningham has done a good job of retaining talent, though. He extended both Drake London and Kyle Pitts, which brought Atlanta's salary cap ******* e up to $37.9 million.
After looking at the Falcons' top-paid offensive players yesterday, here's a look at the team's 10 highest-paid defensive players based of their 2026 salary cap hits (all numbers via Over The Cap).

The Atlanta Falcons have a few big question marks entering the 2026 NFL season, but their roster isn't short on talent. In terms of skill position players, it doesn't get much better than the trio of running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
The three former top-10 picks have accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time. Defensively, the Falcons have some heavy hitters as well. James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts were Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists last season, while defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus broke out with 8.5 sacks.
Savvy veterans like Divine Deablo, A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates round out a rapidly improving defense. The biggest question mark is at quarterback, and unfortunately for Atlanta, that's a pretty important position in the NFL.
The Falcons' uncertainty at QB continues to hurt the perception around this team. ESPN ranked all 32 NFL rosters based on their starting projected starting lineups in 2026. Atlanta landed way down near the bottom, tying for No. 29 with the Arizona Cardinals.
"The eighth pick in 2024, Penix has yet to emerge as a capable starter, totaling 14 touchdown passes in 14 games while struggling with accuracy," wrote ESPN's Mike Clay. "He tore his left ACL in Week 11 last season and now has added competition in Tagovailoa. The former Dolphin has flashed at times during his career, but Miami took on a record $99 million in dead money to move on from him after a disappointing 2025 season."

2025 was a big year of improvement for the Atlanta Falcons' defense. Their secondary was already in good shape and continued to play tight coverage, and they finally got some great pass rushing production, finishing the year second to Denver in sacks.
The Falcons still struggled against the run, though, which brought down their ceiling. The end result was a modest improvement in their scoring defense, going being ranked from 23rd in the league to 19th.
How can they do better this year? Here's Gary Davenport at Bleacher Report breaking down the best-case scenario for defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and his unit this coming season.
"The Falcons showed real improvement defensively last year, and the best-case scenario in 2026 is for that improvement to continue. They need a pass rush that again ranks at or near the top of the league in sacks and a seamless replacement of the departed Kaden Elliss with Divine Deablo at linebacker. They also need a third cornerback to step up alongside A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes. If they get those things, the Falcons could have the NFC South's best defense."
The pass rush question is still to be determined, and will be largely based on what happens with James Pearce Jr. and how long the NFL decides to suspend him. Improvement from Jalon Walker would certainly help, as would continued efforts from Brandon Dorlus inside. They'll need others to step up as well, though.

The Atlanta Falcons are focusing on fundamentals at their three-day mandatory minicamp in Flowery Branch this week. The players have spent the last two days working through 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, but they won't be practicing on Thursday.
After minicamp concludes, the team will be off until training camp begins late in July. However, the Falcons still have much to figure out. The team is having an open quarterback competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., plus Atlanta must decide who will start at linebacker next to Divine Deablo.
Penix still isn't 100 percent in his recovery from ACL surgery but he's getting closer. Falcons edge James Pearce Jr. is back in the facility as he awaits a possible punishment from the NFL. Since the Falcons have a mostly new coaching staff, they need all of the time they can get before the live bullets start flying.
Watch highlights from Falcons minicamp, as shared by the team's YouTube channel below.
The Falcons released their official training camp schedule on Wednesday, which includes 10 open practices for fans to attend. Check out the full training camp schedule below.