Matt Judon is back in a familiar orbit, and this time the circumstances look a lot different.
The former Falcons edge rusher is getting another shot with Raheem Morris, only now Morris is running the defense in San Francisco. After a workout on Saturday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the 49ers are signing Judon to the practice squad, with an early opportunity to be elevated to the active roster on Monday. For a team dealing with major losses off the edge, it’s the kind of move that feels built for the moment.
The 49ers are signing veteran pass rusher Matt Judon to the practice squad with early chance for elevation, per sources.
Judon has 72 career sacks and four Pro Bowls. pic.twitter.com/iW9ZKzi6r0
- Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 28, 2026
San Francisco suddenly needs bodies and production at edge rusher after losing both starters, Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams. That puts a premium on someone who can plug in quickly, understand the ask, and handle the fast turnaround that comes with being elevated.
Judon brings exactly that kind of resume. He has 100 starts behind him, 72 career sacks, and four Pro Bowl nods.
This reunion also carries a little history. Morris helped bring Judon to Atlanta in one of his biggest early moves as Falcons head coach, acquiring him from the New England Patriots just a couple of weeks before the start of the 2026 season. The idea was obvious: add a proven pass rusher and jump-start a defense that needed help getting after the quarterback.
It didn’t play out that way.
Judon played all 17 games for Atlanta and even broke up five passes, but the sack total never came with it. He finished with just 5.5, well short of what the Falcons were hoping for when they made the deal. Justin Simmons had already been added as another Pro Bowler that offseason, and like that move, this one didn’t hit the way Atlanta wanted.
Judon’s track record before Atlanta was much stronger. He was a solid edge player in Baltimore, then turned into a high-end pass rusher in New England, piling up 28 sacks over his first two seasons there.
But a torn bicep changed the picture. He missed time the season before joining the Falcons and never really got back to his pre-injury form.
Atlanta, for its part, also didn’t give him much help. Arnold Ebiketie led the team in sacks that year, and the Falcons finished second-to-last in the league in sacks. There just wasn’t much juice anywhere in that pass rush.
Since leaving Atlanta, Judon has kept moving. He spent most of the year in Miami before being waived in December and landing on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad. Now, at 34, he’s back in another stop that could define the rest of his NFL run.
And while Judon is trying to keep his career going, the Falcons have taken a different path. Even without Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., they’ve put together one of the league’s best pass-rushing groups.
Through three weeks, Atlanta ranks first in the NFL in pass-rush win rate. Za’Darius Smith, the player they chose over bringing Judon back this summer, leads the team with 2.5 sacks, while Cameron Thomas, Samson Ebukam, Brandon Dorlus and Gervon Dexter have also made noise on the interior.
So while Judon gets another chance with Morris, it’s the Falcons who currently have the better pass rush. That alone makes this latest reunion an interesting one.
In Other News...
Falcons Defense Could Seize Control In Division Showdown
Monday night brings a familiar kind of pressure for the Falcons, only with more at stake than usual: a trip to New Orleans with first place in the NFC South on the line. Atlantas defense has built its identity around stopping the run, and that strength now meets a Saints offense that may have to lean even harder on its ground game with Travis Etienne expected to sit because of a hamstring injury.
For the Falcons, that is exactly the sort of matchup that can tilt a division race. New Orleans still has Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson available in the backfield, but Kamara has not been as effective as he once was as a runner, which puts even more weight on a group that already ranks among the leagues toughest against the run. If Atlanta can control that area again, the rest of the night starts to look a lot simpler. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookies Are Already Changing Atlantas Depth Chart
Through the first three weeks, Atlantas rookie class has already started to leave a mark on the depth chart, with Avieon Terrell, Zachariah Branch, Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. all showing why the Falcons were eager to get them on the field. Their roles and playing time have been trending in a way that suggests this group is not just filling out the roster, but pushing for real opportunities as the season develops.
The early returns have been encouraging enough to change the conversation around where these rookies fit, and in some cases, how quickly they can rise. Snap counts and on-field impact are still evolving, which is exactly what makes this such an interesting subplot for Atlanta - the Falcons appear to have found a class that could keep reshaping its pecking order as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Trade Swap Is Already Changing How This Defense Looks
Through the first three games, Maason Smith has already given the Falcons a different look up front after arriving from Jacksonville in the deal that sent Ruke Orhorhoro the other way. Atlanta wanted a bigger body at defensive tackle, and Smith has slid right into a starting role while bringing a steady, disruptive presence to the line.
The early returns suggest the swap is fitting what the Falcons were after, with Smith ranking third among defensive tackles in pass rush win rate and handling meaningful snaps in a way that has helped the defense. Orhorhoro, meanwhile, is currently buried on Jacksonvilles depth chart, which only sharpens the contrast as Atlanta watches the trade pay off on the field. [Read more 🡒]