Atlanta missed the playoffs in 2025-26 for an eighth consecutive season and fired now-former head coach Raheem Morris afterward.The Falcons finished 8-9 and went Under their regular-season win total for a third straight season.
This franchise hasn't rebounded since the end of the Matt Ryan Era.Hiring two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski to replace Morris is a step in the right direction.But Atlanta made only minimal upgrades to its roster this offseason, ranking 24th in free-agent spending.DRAKE LONDON SIGNS $141M DEAL WITH FALCONS, BECOMING THIRD HIGHEST-PAID RECEIVER IN NFL: REPORTSAtlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Sr.
celebrates with WR Drake London after catching a touchdown vs.the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
(Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)The Falcons finished below .500 last season despite playing the fourth-easiest schedule in the league.This season, Atlanta is projected to play the 20th-easiest schedule.
That's just one of the reasons I expect the Falcons to struggle in 2026-27.For the record, I’m a "Stefanski Guy."Plus, the NFC South is the softest division in the NFL, and the Falcons have an above-average offensive line, ranked 13th by ESPN’s Mike Clay.They also have a solid core of game-breakers, such as RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts.But the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and Atlanta has a sketchy quarterback situation.The Falcons took a flyer on the brittle Tua Tagovailoa as an insurance policy for unproven third-year QB Michael Penix Jr., who is just as injury-prone, if not more so, and is coming off a season-ending injury.First-year Atlanta Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa is practicing during minicamp.
(Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)Pro Football Focus ranked Penix 35th out of 38 quarterbacks last season and Tagovailoa 32nd.Since Stefanski wasn’t in Atlanta when Penix was drafted and has no allegiance to him, I’m assuming Tua wins the starting job.Given Stefanski's and Tagovailoa's track records, I wouldn't...