SEASON PREDICTION 

In a division where a 9-8 record could mean clinching a playoff berth, Atlanta decided to make sure they spent their offseason minimizing any shot they had of sniffing postseason football. There are just so many negative stories and moves around the Falcons organization this offseason that has led me to firmly believe they will have a terrible year. It's quite unfortunate because their offense has 3 bright young stars with Bijan, Drake, and Kyle, but it seems they are set to waste their talents away for the 2026 season.   

The main reason I am so down on this Atlanta offense despite their great playmakers is because they don't have a competent QB to get them the ball. Outside of the Browns and Vikings, I feel the Falcons have the worst QB room in the league. If the first snap of the preseason was any indication for what's to come, Atlanta could be in for a rough 2026. Similar to what I've said about the teams with elite RB's and mediocre QB's, I expect defense to stack the box vs Bijan and force Atlanta to beat them in the air. Considering Tua had more turnovers than TD's last year, that's a bet I would assume most defenses would be willing to make. Furthermore, Tua has concerns outside of his football capabilities which are in relation to his concussion history. One bad hit could legitimately end his football career for good. If Tua gets hurt, they will have to rely on Michael Penix assuming he is healthy. Penix isn't any better than Tua, having his mobility severely dampened due to 2 ACL surgeries, and his deep ball throwing ability is woeful to put it lightly. These 2 leading the QB room are going to make it extremely difficult for London and Pitts to have any success in the passing game and unless they're wide open, I expect a lot of misconnections and interceptions to transpire this year.  

On the defensive end, Atlanta has even more worries. Firstly, their standout rookie from 2025 got into domestic voielnce trouble in the offseason which led to an 8-game suspension from the NFL. To make matters worse Jalon Walker tore his ACL and is out for the season, meaning the 2 players who combined for 1/3 of the teams sacks last year will be off the field for the majority of 2026. As for the rest of the defense, the biggest improvement came in the secondary with the draft pick of Aveion Terrell. The Falcons have had success with his brother AJ, so they decided to keep the family tree going by snagging AJ's little bro. The rest of the secondary is a bit shaky entering the year as the 22nd best unit in the league. On the front seven they suffered a huge blow by losing Kaden Ellis in free agency. Saying he was a vital part to their defense would be an understatement as he led the team with 107 tackles and piled on 3.5 sacks. Not only did, they lose Ellis but they didn't bring in anyone to replace his production which further contributes to my prediction of this defense having a down year.  

Hence, with an offense led by unskilled QB play and a defense suffering major injuries and losses in free agency, I have the Falcons finishing 4-13. While I do like a couple of their offseason moves, such as hiring a new HC, there are just too many losses for Stefanskai's coaching to offset. The Falcons laundry list of losses including the departures of Darnell Mooney, Tyler Allegier, and the others previously noted will make this team a perennial contender for the first overall pick. If their pass rushers can get healthy for next year and they can sign an above average QB then they will be right back in contention for this weak divisions but at the current state, I see them posing no threat to anyone in the league despite the decorated talent at multiple skill positions.