3 Winners and Losers from Atlanta Falcons Offseason

There's been a ton of change for the Atlanta Falcons in 2026 already. Who has come away as the biggest winners and losers heading into the season?

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Divine Deablo will be a leader on the defense after a strong 2026. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A lot can change from the end of one NFL season to the start of another, and with the draft and a majority of free agency completed, most NFL rosters look very similar to how they will look in Week 1. The Atlanta Falcons are no different. 

The Falcons brought in an almost completely new coaching staff and front office, and with that came a lot of change. So who benefited and who didn’t from the Falcons' offseason so far? 

Here are three winners and losers from the Falcons' offseason: 

Winner: Divine Deablo

This offseason brought a ton of change for the Falcons, but one of the only things that did not change was the team's defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich. Deablo is possibly the biggest benefactor of Ulbrich staying on the coaching staff. 

Ulbrich brought in Deablo as a free agent after spending four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. He missed four games and the majority of another after breaking his arm, but Deablo was able to rack up 73 tackles in just 13 games with the Falcons. Ulbrich loves the athleticism and intensity that Deablo brings to the defense, and that love showed in the Falcons' offseason moves. 

They let linebacker Kaden Elliss, the team's leading tackler, walk in free agency and opted instead to build depth through the draft and let Deablo lead the linebacker room. This is an amazing opportunity for Deablo, who is in a contract year. Don't be surprised if the Falcons announce a contract extension this summer for their key linebacker.  

Loser: Michael Penix Jr. 

Penix started last year as the clear starter and intended future quarterback of the franchise. However, after all of the offseason changes, he will enter this season in a much different spot. The former eighth overall pick will be in a quarterback battle with former Pro-Bowler Tua Tagovailoa. 

Things will be even harder for Penix as he is recovering from a partially torn ACL suffered in Week 11 of last season. Before that, he had completed 60% of his passes for 220 yards per game and just nine touchdowns. 

Now with a completely new regime, it feels like Penix needs to win this starting job. Because of this, he is the biggest loser of the Falcons' offseason. 

Winner: Tommy Rees

The Falcons' new offensive coordinator is one of the biggest winners of the offseason. Going from what he had in Cleveland to what Atlanta has in terms of skill positions is a massive upgrade for the young offensive coordinator. 

Last season, Rees’ two best skill position players were rookies in Harold Fanin Jr. and Quinshon Judkins. They led the Browns in receiving and rushing yards, respectively, but neither eclipsed the 900-yard mark. Now in Atlanta, Rees will get to scheme up plays for Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, all upgrades over what he had in Cleveland. 

Even though the Falcons don’t have a clear direction at quarterback, both options are better than the revolving door that the Browns had last season. With a plethora of upgraded talent to use, Rees is certainly a winner of the offseason. 

Loser: Tyler Allgeier

Despite losing him in free agency, teammates and fans alike were excited to see Allgeier finally get to be a starting running back again, something that hadn't happened since he put up over 1,000 yards in his rookie season. However, this excitement didn’t last long. 

Just over a month after signing Allgeier to a contract, the Arizona Cardinals took another running back, Jeremiyah Love, with the third pick in the draft. The unanimous All-American and Heisman Finalist finished his senior season with 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. 

Allgeier will now once again have to fight for carries with a supremely talented running mate. This, paired with the fact that his contract did not contain as much guaranteed money as some thought he would get, is why he lands on the offseason losers list. 

Winner: Drake London

Everyone loves payday, and London got a huge one this offseason. In four years with the Falcons, London has nearly 4,000 yards and 22 touchdowns. The former USC Trojan has become the Falcons' most reliable and dangerous pass catcher. Because of this, the Falcons rewarded him with a 4-year, $141 million contract. 

This made London the third-highest-paid wide receiver in the league by both average and total contract value. A well-deserved payday for the 24-year-old who is quickly becoming one of the league's best pass catchers. 

A payday this big is what lands London on the offseason winners list. 

Loser: Kyle Pitts

Despite also getting paid, Pitts lands on the loser list because of the manner in which he got paid. Three consecutive disappointing seasons had people ready to label Pitts as a bust, but a resurgent 2025-26 season saw Pitts tally 928 yards and five touchdowns on 88 catches.

Most thought that would be enough to earn him a contract extension with the Falcons, but after cleaning house, the front office thought differently. They chose instead to franchise tag Pitts with a one-year deal worth $15 million. The money is not the issue with the deal, as he will be the fourth-highest-paid tight end this season. The issue is the length. 

The one-year deal puts a ton of pressure on Pitts to perform and stay healthy this season. A down year or an injury could greatly affect the size of his next contract, and with question marks at quarterback and plenty of other talented pass-catchers around him, this contract puts a ton of pressure on Pitts and makes him one of the offseason losers. 

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