The Falcons head into 2026 with a new coach, a new general manager and a roster full of questions that still need answers. Three players sit right in the middle of that uncertainty: Tua Tagovailoa, Jawaan Taylor and Gervon Dexter Sr.
Tagovailoa won Atlanta’s quarterback competition for Week 1, but the spot comes with an asterisk. Michael Penix Jr. isn’t fully healthy, and that reality hangs over the decision. Even with the job in hand, Tagovailoa has to do something with the opportunity and make it count.
Taylor is stepping into a far more straightforward but no less important assignment. Atlanta is leaning on him to steady the right tackle spot after Kaleb McGary’s retirement.
The Falcons already have proven pieces on the offensive line in Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom, and Taylor’s job is to make the right side reliable enough to push the unit toward being one of the team’s strongest areas. If he can’t hold up, Atlanta may be back at that position sooner than it wants to be.
There’s also the contract angle: Taylor is on a one-year deal, so a strong season could set him up for a new payday in Atlanta or somewhere else.
Dexter arrives with the most direct pressure attached to his name. Atlanta sent cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Chicago to get him, and the Falcons are expecting him to bring more disruption from the interior of a defensive line that changed a lot this offseason.
He’s produced 13.5 sacks over his first three NFL seasons, including 11 in the last two, and Atlanta is banking on that pass-rushing form carrying over. If it does, the trade could look smart fast for Cunningham.
If it doesn’t, the Falcons will have given up a young corner and a future draft pick for a player who didn’t fix the problem they were chasing.
Dexter is also in a contract year, which only sharpens the stakes. For him, the message is simple: prove the Falcons were right to trade for you.
Different situations, same burden. Tagovailoa has to show he belongs in the starting conversation.
Taylor has to show Atlanta can count on him at right tackle. Dexter has to show he was worth the cost.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Have A Backfield Depth Problem They Created
The Falcons running back room took an unexpected hit this week when the Cowboys signed Tyler Goodson off Atlantas practice squad and onto their active 53-man roster after losing Malik Davis to injury. Goodson had been waived by Atlanta after a strong preseason, a move that left the team thin behind its top backs and opened the door for another club to swoop in.
Now Atlanta is left with rookie Cash Jones as its only running back on the practice squad, and the front office may need to move quickly to restore some depth. Goodson had been in position to compete for a role behind Javonte Williams and Emari Demercado in Dallas, but the more immediate concern for the Falcons is the self-inflicted vacancy they now have to patch before it becomes a bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Pitts Is Already Putting Falcons Quarterback Problem Under Pressure
Kyle Pitts new deal made it clear the Falcons still view him as one of the central pieces of the offense, but the season opener offered a reminder that his production is still tied closely to who is throwing him the ball. In the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pitts was targeted only once and did not record a reception while Cooper Rush handled the start at quarterback, a quiet night for a player Atlanta is counting on much more heavily.
The larger issue for the Falcons is less about Pitts himself than the uncertainty around the quarterback room. Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa are both dealing with injuries and are expected back soon, and Pitts early line only underscores how much the offense needs stability under center. Until that settles, the Falcons may keep feeling the strain of trying to make a top weapon work through an unsettled passing game. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Already Face An Early Cam Ward Concern
The first week of the 2026 NFL season did not exactly settle much for the teams still circling the quarterback conversation, and Atlanta is among the ones still feeling the ripple effects. The Falcons entered the year with an uncertain setup under center, as Cooper Rush and Michael Penix Jr. both sit inside a broader picture that leaves the position looking anything but finalized.
That matters because the early struggles around the league can quickly push teams toward bigger decisions, and the 2027 draft is already part of that conversation for several quarterback-needy clubs. Atlanta is in that mix with a group that also includes Cleveland, Miami and Tennessee, where Cam Ward is one name to watch if the Titans decide their current path needs another turn, though nothing in this stage makes any of those outcomes certain. [Read more 🡒]