The Falcons’ 2025 season didn’t just fall short-it fizzled out before the turkey hit the table on Thanksgiving. And while the disappointment still lingers, fans in Atlanta have already shifted their focus to what’s next.
With Kevin Stefanski now at the helm, there's a renewed sense of direction. But let’s be real: optimism meets a hard cap ceiling pretty quickly when you’re staring at just $17.4 million in available space.
That figure doesn’t stretch far-not far enough to slap the franchise tag on Kyle Pitts, and definitely not enough to bring back multiple key free agents. But the number fans should be watching isn’t where things stand now-it’s where they could be after some strategic maneuvering.
The Falcons don’t have a general manager in place yet, but that hasn’t stopped names like Matt Ryan and Ian Cunningham from being floated as potential decision-makers. Whoever steps in will have a clear first task: create financial breathing room. And the blueprint for doing that is already on the table.
If Atlanta restructures the contracts of four cornerstone players-Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom, Jessie Bates III, and A.J. Terrell-they could open up nearly $41 million in cap space. That’s a massive swing and could transform the Falcons from cap-strapped to free agency-ready without gutting the roster.
Let’s break it down.
Jake Matthews: The Veteran Anchor
Matthews has been a rock on the Falcons’ offensive line for over a decade. He’s the longest-tenured player on the roster and still playing at a high level.
His 82.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranked fifth among all qualified offensive tackles last season. That’s not just solid-that’s elite.
He’s set to carry a $16 million cap hit in 2026, but with no clear successor at left tackle and Matthews still holding his own, the smart move is to restructure. Converting a portion of his salary into a signing bonus would keep him in Atlanta while freeing up valuable cap space. At 34 next month, he’s not the long-term future-but he’s still a big part of the present.
Chris Lindstrom: The Run-Game Engine
Lindstrom’s not going anywhere, and frankly, the Falcons wouldn’t want him to. The four-time Second-Team All-Pro signed a five-year, $102.5 million extension before the 2023 season, and he’s been worth every penny. He’s the engine of Atlanta’s run game and arguably their most consistent offensive lineman.
In 2026, he’s slated to make over $20 million, with a $16 million base salary and a $26.25 million cap hit. But here’s the kicker: restructuring his deal could free up over $11 million. That kind of flexibility could be crucial, especially if the Falcons want to lock in Bijan Robinson long-term and build around their young offensive core.
Jessie Bates III: Still Valuable, But Complicated
Bates is in a trickier spot. His contract runs through the end of the 2026 season, and his $13.02 million base salary and $24.77 million cap hit are hefty numbers.
With Xavier Watts emerging on the back end, some might wonder if Bates is expendable. But the Falcons don’t have a clean out until 2027, so cutting him now would be costly and, frankly, unnecessary.
Bates has still been productive. He picked off three passes in 2025, two of which came against Matthew Stafford.
He’s not just a name on the depth chart-he’s a playmaker. Restructuring his deal makes sense if Atlanta wants to keep him in the fold while creating space to address other needs.
A.J. Terrell: A Bounce-Back Candidate
Terrell didn’t have his best year in 2025, but context matters. The Falcons’ secondary was a revolving door, and that instability affected everyone.
Still, Terrell is a vital piece of the defense and one of the team’s most talented players. He carries a $15 million base salary heading into 2026, and while there is an out in his contract, using it would leave Atlanta with a staggering $55 million in dead cap.
That’s not happening. The more realistic path is to ride it out and hope Terrell rebounds next season. The Falcons can’t truly move on from him until his deal expires in 2028, so restructuring now gives them flexibility while keeping a key defender in place.
The Bottom Line
The Falcons don’t need to blow up the roster to fix their cap issues. With four smart restructures, they could go from $17.4 million in space to nearly $41 million-without cutting a single core player. That kind of financial turnaround would position Atlanta to be aggressive in free agency and give Kevin Stefanski a real shot at reshaping this team in his image.
The pieces are there. The cap space can be too. Now it’s just a matter of making the right moves.