The Atlanta Falcons are moving on from return specialist and wide receiver Jamal Agnew, officially releasing the veteran on Saturday.
Agnew joined Atlanta back in March on a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million, a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing for a team looking to juice its return game. But the results never quite matched the expectations. Agnew logged 30 kick returns for 741 yards and added 15 punt returns for 114 yards this season, but ball security became a concern-a tough pill to swallow for a player whose primary value lies in special teams reliability.
Before landing in Atlanta, Agnew spent the 2024 season on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad. He didn’t appear in a regular-season game, though he was elevated for the Steelers’ playoff matchup against the Baltimore Ravens-only to be made inactive on game day. That came after a long rehab from a fractured leg suffered at the end of the Jaguars’ 2023 campaign, an injury that wiped out his entire offseason and delayed his return to full health until shortly after the 2024 season began.
Now 29, Agnew has had a winding NFL journey. Drafted in the fifth round out of San Diego in 2015, he entered the league as a cornerback with the Detroit Lions.
But it wasn’t until the Jacksonville Jaguars transitioned him to wide receiver that his offensive potential began to show. Since making that switch, Agnew has hauled in 77 receptions for 746 yards-solid numbers considering his primary role has always been as a return man.
And in that role, Agnew has been electric at times. He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2017 and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2022. With over 5,000 return yards and 12 total touchdowns (including both return and offensive scores), he’s carved out a niche as one of the league’s more dangerous special teams weapons over the past decade.
But in the NFL, availability and ball security matter. While Agnew’s resume speaks to his explosiveness and versatility, the Falcons clearly felt it was time to go in another direction.
Whether this marks the end of Agnew’s NFL journey or just another stop along the way remains to be seen. What’s certain is that when healthy and confident, he’s still capable of flipping field position-and momentum-with a single return.