The Atlanta Falcons have had quite the busy offseason. After another disappointing season in 2025, owner Arthur Blank cleaned house, firing general manger Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris.
In response, the team brought in Ian Cunningham from the Chicago Bears to be the GM, and hired Kevin Stefanski to be the next head coach. Franchise legend Matt Ryan was also brought in to have the final say on football operations.
However, what the team did in free agency and the draft wasn't all that exciting. The biggest offseason additions the team made are wide receiver Jahan Dotson and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Speaking of quarterbacks, it's also unsure what the plan is with Michael Penix Jr.
As a result, Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors picked the Falcons as having one of the five worst offseasons in the league. Regarding that decision, Ulrich offered the following analysis:
The Falcons are on this list because I'm not sure what the plan is. Their biggest contract in free agency was a two-year, $15 million deal for WR Jahan Dotson. The Falcons were limited in the 2026 NFL Draft by not having a first-round pick after Fontenot traded it away last year to move up for OLB James Pearce Jr., who still faces a major suspension despite being able to work out a plea deal to avoid felony charges.
This feels like a transition year for the team, primarily to evaluate what exactly they have at quarterback. Right now, they just feel like a team stuck in neutral.
As Ulrich mentioned, the team made no additions that would drastically improve the win total. It also didn't help that the team had no first-round pick, and it's even worse that they gave up that pick for a guy who likely face a suspension in 2026.
Of course, it is at least possible that either Penix or Tagovailoa could improve and cement themselves as the franchise quarterback. However, it's probably not wise to bet on that happening considering the weapons aren't that great.
Bijan Robinson might be the best running back in the league, Drake London is a solid top option, and tight end Kyle Pitts is reliable enough. But Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson are currently slated to start next to London, and that's not exactly the most exciting set up.
There's also not much to be excited about on defense. The Falcons had a bottom 10 rush defense last year, and it's hard to see how they got better in that regard. The pass rush is also perpetually a problem in Atlanta, and they didn't seem to get better there either, especially if Pearce is suspended.
It's possible that the Ryan/Cunningham/Stefanski trio will get things turned around in Atlanta, it just doesn't seem like that's going to happen immediately.
More NFL news: