In the Nest
Behind-the-scenes stories, locker room insight into team culture
The first thing you see when you walk into ATL's QB meeting room is a sign that reads, "Trust your feet."
It's a creed, and a reminder, that everything for Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa hinges on the principle footwork they are drilling this offseason.
"If your feet are right, you're going to make good decisions," quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said. "When you get in trouble is when you don't trust your feet and you hang too long and you're off and then you throw bad balls or interceptions. Footwork is a huge part of us."
"... There are certain route trees that we have, and then we tie certain footwork in with those exact routes," Van Pelt explained. "So, making sure those guys are in rhythm and in time with the passing game that the ball is coming out. We really have really four different drops from the gun that matches different routes with different depths."
Defensively, the Falcons are actively searching for their inside linebacker running mate to partner with Divine Deablo. The player who's taken the most first-team reps alongside Deablo is free agency signing Christian Harris.
"Christian is a guy that has been in a very similar system in Houston and has played a lot of football," Falcons inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said. "So, he came in and was really familiar with a lot of our concepts. He's been a great addition to our room."
Is this a sign of Harris' true role in this defense? Or is there more competition than meets the eye? Going into training camp, it would appear to be the latter.
"We're rotating so many different guys in there throughout the walkthroughs, throughout the individual periods, throughout 7-on-7, team, if you will," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I think that's the name of the game at linebacker, and also where we are as a team. Just rotate guys in and out, see what type of combinations make sense, and give guys as many opportunities as they can to put their best foot forward, (and) let us have a real evaluation of them over the course of this offseason program leading into preseason football as well."
Someone who has impressed early, though, is Kyle Pitts, whose national narrative may be shifting after his late-2025 surge.
"Kyle's been a really good player in this league for a number of years now," offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. "He's coming off a great season where he's shown where his talent is and what his level of commitment is."