The Falcons have spent the offseason reshaping the operation around Kevin Stefanski and Matt Ryan, and the next big question hanging over the roster is at quarterback. Atlanta has already brought in veteran Tua Tagovailoa to push Michael Penix Jr., after Penix struggled in 2025, and the competition figures to stay front and center.
But whichever passer wins the job is going to need more help.
That’s where Deebo Samuel enters the picture. The veteran remains on the trade market despite turning in a strong 2025 season for Washington, one that included 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns, plus 75 rushing yards and another score. And according to Moe Moton of Bleacher Report, Atlanta would be one of the best possible landing spots.
Moton pointed to a receiver room that still looks thin behind Drake London. Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie third-round pick Zachariah Branch are in line to battle for supporting roles, but none of them bring Samuel’s all-around threat level.
“Atlanta has an unsettled receiver corps behind Drake London. Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie third-rounder Zachariah Branch will compete for targets in complementary roles.
Samuel would be an immediate upgrade in the No. 2 spot. Most importantly, he can extend plays after the catch. The winner of the quarterback battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. can target him on routine completions that could go 10-20 yards downfield.”
That’s the appeal for Atlanta. Samuel would give the Falcons a dependable second option, someone who can work underneath, find space over the middle and in the flat, and turn short throws into chunk gains. With London already drawing attention, Samuel would take some of the pressure off the top target and give either Penix or Tagovailoa a much friendlier outlet.
He’s not the same player he was at his peak, and age is starting to matter. Samuel will be 31 by the end of the 2026 season.
His best year came in 2021, when he posted 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns while adding 365 rushing yards and eight scores. That season earned him his only Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.
Even so, the production hasn’t disappeared. Outside of an injury-shortened 2020 campaign, Samuel has never finished below 632 receiving yards in a season. He may not be a No. 1 anymore, but he still looks like the kind of versatile complementary weapon an offense can build around.
With Stefanski now running the show, Atlanta could be exactly the kind of place where Samuel still has real value.
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The question now is whether one more move would actually help or just crowd the same lane. A free-agent addition in the wrong mold could overlap with what Branch was drafted to do, turning a fresh investment into a redundant one before he even gets a real chance to settle in. For a team still sorting out its receiver hierarchy, the next signing matters almost as much as the first ones did. [Read more 🡒]
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