The Atlanta Falcons enter Week 1 with a lot more uncertainty than polish, and The Athletic’s latest power rankings reflect that. Atlanta slid to 26th in the league heading into its season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The biggest issue hanging over the Falcons is the quarterback situation. The battle has centered on Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., with rookie Jack Strand also in the mix, and that uncertainty is hard to ignore this close to kickoff. As The Athletic put it:
"Amid all the questions about the Falcons’ quarterback competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., it’s easy to forget that this team lost last year’s 15th pick, Jalon Walker, to an ACL tear and last year’s 26th pick, James Pearce Jr., to an eight-game suspension. Tagovailoa will start, but things aren’t looking great in Atlanta."
There’s still a path for one of those quarterbacks to catch fire and change the conversation. Tagovailoa, Penix Jr. or Strand could all end up giving Atlanta something real if the season breaks the right way. But based on what’s in front of the Falcons now, that feels like a long shot.
The defensive outlook is shaky too. Atlanta’s pass rush finished second in the NFL in sacks last season, but that strength takes a major hit with Walker sidelined for the year and Pearce Jr. unavailable for the first half of the season.
Even with all that, the Falcons may still have the most talented roster in the NFC South. The problem is that winning the division doesn’t look simple at all with the roster limitations they’re carrying into the year.
In Other News...
Falcons May Have Found Another Ian Cunningham Reclamation Project
The Falcons kept their defensive line churn going this week by adding Zacch Pickens to the practice squad and moving on from Carlos Allen Jr. Pickens arrives with a familiar kind of rsum for this front office, since he was a third-round pick by the Bears in 2023 and has already spent time with the Chiefs and Giants before landing in Atlanta.
For Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham, the move fits a pattern that has followed him from Chicago to Atlanta, where he has continued to bring in players he once helped draft or acquire with the Bears. Whether Pickens turns into more than a depth addition remains to be seen, but the connection is hard to miss, and it adds another layer to the way the Falcons have been shopping for help. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Open With A Familiar Aaron Rodgers Problem
Aaron Rodgers will begin what is expected to be his 22nd and final NFL season on Sunday, Sept. 13, and the Falcons are the first team tasked with dealing with him again, this time with Rodgers lining up as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. It is a familiar challenge for Atlanta, because even as Rodgers has changed teams, the matchup still centers on the same veteran presence who has defined so many game plans over the years.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski spent part of his press conference giving Rodgers the kind of respect that usually comes with a future Hall of Famer, praising both his skills and his experience. For Atlanta, the timing makes the opener feel even bigger, since the Falcons are being asked to open the season against a quarterback whose career achievements are well known and whose recent play still makes him a problem any week he is on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Early Draft Link Raises Bigger Question Next To Drake London
As the Falcons keep sorting through their long-term roster picture, one early look ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft has them adding another receiver to the conversation. A mock draft projection sends Indiana wideout Charlie Becker to Atlanta at No. 12 overall, a reminder that even with Drake London entrenched as the headliner, the team could still be looking for more size and playmaking on the perimeter as it builds around its offense.
Beckers profile makes the fit easy to picture, with his physical traits and recent production giving him the kind of upside that can spark draft buzz this far out. But the bigger question for Atlanta is whether receiver is really the path it wants to take when the draft gets there, or whether the development of other players pushes the Falcons toward a different priority, including quarterback, depending on how the next couple of seasons unfold. [Read more 🡒]