The injury bug bit the Atlanta Falcons right in the rear end on Tuesday, with edge rusher Jalon Walker suffering a season-ending ACL tear at their latest training camp practice.
The blow is particularly brutal to the team's edge unit, which was already expecting a TBD suspension for James Pearce Jr. that could sideline him for a significant portion of the 2026 season.
According to ESPN, the Falcons were already looking for pass-rushing help before Walker's injury, so we can safely ******* ume that they're going to sign somebody. The only question is if they'll just sign a body to fill the roster spot, or if they'll actually spend to bring in a pass rusher who could make a difference.
Here are three free agents who could help Atlanta with Walker and Pearce out.
If the Falcons want to go the familiar face route, their best option will be to bring back Leonard Floyd, who spent the 2025 season in Atlanta. His pass rushing numbers weren't up to his usual standard (3.5 sacks, 11 QB hits), but keep in mind he was only on the field for 49% of the team's defensive snaps last year. With a larger role in the absence of Walker and Pearce, he could get back to posting the kind of numbers he did with the 49ers in 2024 - when he totaled 8.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits.
#season #edge #rusher
The blow is particularly brutal to the team's edge unit, which was already expecting a TBD suspension for James Pearce Jr. that could sideline him for a significant portion of the 2026 season.
According to ESPN, the Falcons were already looking for pass-rushing help before Walker's injury, so we can safely ******* ume that they're going to sign somebody. The only question is if they'll just sign a body to fill the roster spot, or if they'll actually spend to bring in a pass rusher who could make a difference.
Here are three free agents who could help Atlanta with Walker and Pearce out.
If the Falcons want to go the familiar face route, their best option will be to bring back Leonard Floyd, who spent the 2025 season in Atlanta. His pass rushing numbers weren't up to his usual standard (3.5 sacks, 11 QB hits), but keep in mind he was only on the field for 49% of the team's defensive snaps last year. With a larger role in the absence of Walker and Pearce, he could get back to posting the kind of numbers he did with the 49ers in 2024 - when he totaled 8.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits.
#season #edge #rusher
2 months ago
