The Falcons didn’t have to look far to find their answer at linebacker.
With Divine Deablo sidelined by a forearm injury in Week 7, Atlanta turned to a pair of rookies against the San Francisco 49ers, and both Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. made a strong case that the defense may already be moving on without the veteran.
Daniels, a fourth-round pick, handled the green dot role and piled up a team-high 11 tackles, including nine solo stops. He also added a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and took part in the two biggest takeaways of Atlanta’s 29-20 win: an interception and a fumble recovery on the Falcons’ final two drives. That came one week after Daniels was stretchered off the field with a neck injury.
Perkins, a sixth-round rookie, did his part too. He finished with nine tackles and a tackle for loss in the victory.
That kind of production makes Deablo’s place on the roster look a lot shakier than it did not long ago. Before the season, plenty of Falcons fans would have pointed to him as one of the most important players on the defense.
He was the breakout name last year and seemed set up for another jump in 2026. Instead, his season has gone the other way.
The 27-year-old was on a tear before landing on injured reserve with an injury he might have been able to play through. Since then, he hasn’t looked like the same player. He’s still a solid tackler, but coverage has been a problem, and health has become an issue this year as well.
Now Atlanta has two young linebackers flashing at the same time, and that changes the conversation. The Falcons have less reason to keep investing snaps and money in Deablo when Daniels and Perkins are both on rookie deals and only seven games into those contracts. They still have three-and-a-half more years of club control before the team has to think about long-term extensions.
Deablo, meanwhile, could be in line for something close to $10 million a year on his next deal. That’s a number Atlanta may not want to touch, especially with two cheaper options already in place. The better move appears to be letting him reach free agency and collecting a 2028 compensatory pick.
Daniels was drafted to be a kind of Deablo clone anyway, an athletic safety-turned-linebacker. But after what Atlanta saw against San Francisco, he looks more like Deablo’s long-term successor than a short-term fill-in.
Terry Fontenot was the general manager who brought Deablo to Atlanta, while Daniels and Perkins were both drafted by Ian Cunningham. Since both rookies were Day 3 picks, they also come with far less cap pressure.
So the question isn’t really which one should start. The Falcons seem to have already answered that.
It should be both.
In Other News...
Michael Penix Is Giving Falcons Hope With One Big Test Ahead
Michael Penix Jr. has given Atlanta a reason to feel better about the quarterback position again, and the timing matters with the stretch run still offering little room for error. Kevin Stefanski praised Penixs diligent recovery from a torn ACL and pointed to the way he has settled in lately, a welcome sign for a Falcons offense that has needed stability behind center and a clearer sense of what it can be with him operating at full speed.
The challenge now is keeping that momentum when the level of resistance rises. Atlanta has seen enough of the division to know how quickly pass rushers can change a game, and YaYa Diabys recent surge for Tampa Bay is another reminder of what the Falcons will be up against in the weeks ahead. Penix has done his part to build confidence, but the next test will tell far more about where this offense really stands. [Read more 🡒]
Jessie Bates Is Closing In On Rare Falcons History
Jessie Bates III keeps finding ways to turn games in Atlantas favor, and his latest showing against the 49ers was another reminder of why he has become such a steady force on the back end. In the Falcons win, Bates recorded an interception and later forced the game-ending fumble, adding another standout performance to a season that has already put him among the leagues better safeties.
The production has been there all year, even if the recognition has not always matched it. Bates is grading out among the top safeties in Pro Football Focus this season, and his resume still includes only one Pro Bowl selection despite the kind of impact plays that can swing a game in a hurry. With the way he is stacking up those rare interception-and-fumble outings, the next milestone is now very much within reach. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Offense Forced The 49ers Into A Deadline Response
Atlantas 29-20 win over the 49ers did more than hand San Francisco its first loss of the season. It also exposed a problem that the Falcons were able to exploit throughout the afternoon, with the offense doing enough to keep the pressure on a defense that never looked fully comfortable chasing the game.
For San Francisco, the response came quickly after the final whistle, a clear sign the loss carried some urgency beyond the standings. The 49ers moved to shore up the front of their defense after a day in which the pass rush never consistently affected Michael Penix Jr., and the ripple effect of Nick Bosas absence loomed over the whole performance. [Read more 🡒]