Cameron Thomas is the edge rusher Atlanta is leaning on in Week 1, and that says plenty about where things stand for the Falcons heading into their season opener.
With Jalon Walker lost to an ACL tear and James Pearce Jr. serving an eight-game suspension tied to a February domestic violence arrest, Atlanta spent the offseason searching for stopgap answers. Za'Darius Smith looked like the obvious fix on paper.
He has 70.5 career sacks, three double-digit-sack seasons, and familiar connections throughout the coaching and front-office tree. He played for Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, crossed paths with assistant GM Jeff Scott in Philadelphia, and was drafted by a Baltimore front office that included Ian Cunningham.
Cunningham even noted that teams naturally lean toward a known quantity when there’s a need to fill.
But the Falcons’ Week 1 depth chart points another direction. Thomas is the starter off the edge opposite Brandon Dorlus, with Smith rotating in behind him.
That choice reflects two things at once: Thomas has already earned trust in the building, and Smith is still trying to get back into football shape after stepping away last season to be closer to family during a run of personal losses. Camp made the picture clearer. By those accounts, Thomas won the job while Smith worked his way back.
Thomas, 26 and in a contract year, hasn’t built his reputation on splashy pass-rush production. Still, he’s done enough as a run defender and situational rusher to hold the spot for now. Smith, meanwhile, managed just 1.5 sacks in five games last season across two stops, a sharp drop from the nine-sack form he showed in 2024.
Atlanta’s pass-rush rotation is thin enough that the starters matter even more. With Bralen Trice elevated from the practice squad, the group set to rotate against the Pittsburgh Steelers includes Smith, Thomas, Trice, Jared Ivey, and Samson Ebukam, plus Dorlus. So if Thomas is starting, there’s a good chance he’s also the one playing the most snaps.
That doesn’t make this a final verdict on Smith. At 34 and only months removed from what could have been retirement, he was never likely to walk in and instantly look like the two-time Pro Bowler he once was.
Atlanta’s plan was to use rotation to survive until Pearce returns. For now, the job belongs to Thomas because he’s been available, productive, and ready.
If Smith finds his footing as the season goes on, the balance could change quickly.
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