Atlanta didn’t need long to get a reminder of why it stayed patient with Zachariah Branch.
One week after a shaky night against the Chicago Bears left his special teams job in doubt, the rookie delivered a quick answer in the Falcons’ 29-20 upset of the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers in Week 7. On his first kickoff return of the game, Branch broke loose for 60 yards and helped set up Atlanta’s first points.
That kind of response mattered, because questions had already started to pile up after the Bears game, when Branch fumbled twice on special teams. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear the Falcons weren’t done with him then, and he doubled down after the game.
"Zachariah's somebody we're going to be counting on," Stefanski told Daniel Flick. "He's a conscientious kid. He has to take care of the football."
Stefanski acknowledged the turnovers, but he also sounded convinced Branch would learn from them. Atlanta also had a practical reason to keep leaning on the third-round rookie out of Georgia: Olamide Zaccheus was inactive with a shoulder injury, which pushed Branch into a bigger role.
"We're counting on him, he'll be better for this," Stefanski added.
Branch answered with a performance that touched multiple parts of the offense and special teams. He worked as the WR3, caught one of two targets for nine yards, and added an eight-yard run. But the play that stood out was the one that flipped field position in a hurry and gave Atlanta an early spark.
The Falcons’ willingness to stand by him didn’t come only from the coaching staff. Bijan Robinson pulled Branch aside during the loss to Chicago to talk and pray with him after noticing how frustrated the rookie had become, and Drake London also supported him. Stefanski publicly backed him as well.
That belief is part of why Branch was such an intriguing piece in Atlanta’s 2026 draft class. His speed is obvious, and the Falcons liked his ability to help on offense and on special teams.
Sunday’s outing gave another look at that upside. Branch’s explosiveness showed up immediately, and in a game that ended with Atlanta moving to 3-4 and handing San Francisco its first loss of the season, he made himself useful in more than one way.
The ball security concerns are still there. One strong return doesn’t erase the mistakes from Week 6, and Branch still has to show he can protect the football on a consistent basis, especially in tight games where every turnover matters.
Even so, the Falcons have to weigh that against what he can do that very few players on the roster can. Branch can change field position in a flash, and pulling him from return duties after one bad afternoon would have meant giving up one of Atlanta’s most dangerous special teams tools.
Stefanski chose not to go that route, and with Zaccheus out, Branch paid him back almost right away. Atlanta now turns to a divisional matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, and Branch has a chance to keep building on what he showed against the 49ers.
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