The Atlanta Falcons may have the look of a team that should be able to control the NFC South, but one projection sees the whole thing going sideways in 2026.
Bleacher Report has Atlanta finishing last in the division, a result that would land as a brutal outcome for a roster that, on paper, appears stronger than New Orleans, Carolina and Tampa Bay. The projection says the Falcons “have less momentum than the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints heading into the 2026 season,” while also noting that “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have enough talent on both sides of the ball to bounce back from an 8-9 record in the previous year. Atlanta drops to the bottom of the division with five or six wins.”
That forecast puts the spotlight exactly where it belongs: quarterback and head coach. The roster itself is largely the same in the places that matter most, so any real jump has to come from those two spots.
Kevin Stefanski is the name tied to that hope. He won two Coach of the Year awards in Cleveland, and the source material makes the case that those honors alone should put him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame conversation. If Stefanski can produce better results than Raheem Morris, Atlanta’s outlook changes fast.
But there’s a catch. Stefanski also needs one of his oft-injured southpaw quarterbacks to deliver. If that doesn’t happen, the rest of the roster won’t matter nearly as much.
The source points to Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix as the two quarterbacks who could determine whether Atlanta climbs or crashes. If neither one steps up, a fourth-place finish is on the table. And if the season starts trending that way by midseason, the Falcons are advised not to wait around before looking into trade options.
Anthony Richardson and Mac Jones are both mentioned as possible names to consider, each for different reasons.
In Other News...
One Falcons Bubble Player Is Running Out Of Camp Chances
Training camp has already put a spotlight on the Falcons tight end room, where the depth chart is far from settled and every rep matters. Joshua Simon, an undrafted free agent who came back on a reserve/futures contract after being released last preseason, is trying to turn a promising spring into something more lasting as he works under Kevin Stefanskis new coaching staff.
Simon showed a few encouraging flashes during OTAs, but the margin for error gets thinner once the pads come on and the roster battles sharpen. He is in the mix with Jack Velling and others for one of the final tight end jobs behind Kyle Pitts, Austin Hooper and Charlie Woerner, and the next stretch of camp will go a long way toward deciding whether Simon can force his way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Just Got A Brutal Reminder Of An Even Bigger Draft Bust
Aundray Bruce has long carried the label of one of the Falcons biggest draft disappointments, and for good reason. The No. 1 overall pick in 1988 never became the kind of franchise linebacker Atlanta hoped for, even though he stuck around the league for 11 seasons mostly as a backup, which at least gave the pick some measure of staying power.
But the franchises draft history has another painful chapter, and it comes with a different kind of frustration. Bruce Pickens arrived with far more hype, yet his time in Atlanta was marked by a messy start, limited impact and a career that never came close to matching the expectations that came with his draft slot, leaving Falcons fans with a reminder that the teams draft regrets run deeper than one famous miss. [Read more 🡒]
Bijan Robinson Just Put Falcons Fans On Extension Watch
The Falcons have already checked one box with Bijan Robinson, exercising his fifth-year option as a placeholder while the real business looms. It is the kind of move that buys time, but not much mystery, because Robinsons place in Atlantas offense and his strong 2025 season have only sharpened the focus on what comes next for one of the leagues most dynamic young backs.
NFL Networks Mike Garafolo expects Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs to be in line for top-of-market running back deals, with the Lions possibly needing to move first after Gibbs expanded role following the David Montgomery trade. For Atlanta, the bigger question is not whether Robinson is part of the long-term plan, but how quickly the Falcons are ready to turn that plan into a contract before the next season opens. [Read more 🡒]