5 Reasons for Optimism in 2026 as Atlanta Falcons Ready for Training Camp

The offseason pundits haven't been overly kind to the Atlanta Falcons as they get ready to begin training camp for the 2026 season.

DraftKings has set the over/under on win total for the Falcons at 6.5, and ESPN ranked the Falcons' roster tied for 29th in the NFL, with only two teams below them.

That said, the Falcons won eight games for the second consecutive season last year and cleaned house afterwards. Owner Arthur Blank and Falcons fans felt the team had grossly underachieved in the last three seasons.

With the changes from team president to place kicker comes a lot of new in Atlanta, which brings new reasons for hope and optimism that the team can end its eight-year run of missing out on the playoffs.

We take a look at why the Atlanta Falcons have reason to be optimistic for the 2026 season as rookies report to training camp on Friday.

Special Teams Improvement

Frankly, we could do an entire five reasons why the special teams will be better, but let's lump them all into one category. Atlanta pulled off the dubious honor of finishing last in both kickoff coverage and kickoff returns in 2025.

By the laws of gravity, that has to get better, because it can't get worse. The Falcons drafted Zachariah Branch in the third round, who was a dynamic returner in college.

They were 24th in field goal percentage last season. They signed Nick Folk from the New York Jets, who has led the NFL in field goal accuracy each of the last three seasons. He did so while playing in the unfriendly confines of MetlLife Stadium in New Jersey.

He's going to love kicking half of his games in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and road games in Charlotte, New Orleans, and Tampa instead of Buffalo and Boston.

Kevin Stefanski vs. Raheem Morris

No matter what one thinks of Stefanski's time in Cleveland, he did come away with two NFL Coach of the Year honors. He's one of 14 coaches to have won the award more than once, and the only Cleveland Browns head coach to win it in the last 50 seasons (Forrest Gregg won it in 1976).

Stefanski should be an upgrade over Morris, who struggled with clock management and began his tenure with three poor coordinator hires. Morris pivoted quickly from defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake to Jeff Ulbrich, and Ulbrich is still in Atlanta. Stefanski is already one step ahead.

The Young Core

ESPN is made up of a lot of writers and analysts. So while one part of ESPN ranked the Falcons' roster an absurd 29th, Bill Barnwell ranked the Falcons offensive skill players fourth in the entire league.

Running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts were three consecutive top-10 picks from 2021 to 2023, and for the most part, they were hits.

Robinson is arguably the top running back in the NFL, London keeps rising up the top 100 ranks, and Pitts had the second-most yards among tight ends last season.

Robinson and London have thrived no matter who has been the quarterback. Robinson led the league in scrimmage yards last season, and London was on pace to be a top 5 receiver before missing some time. Stability at quarterback and a more aggressive offensive scheme should take advantage of the Falcons' young core.

Which brings us to...

Raising the Floor of the QB Room

A year ago, the Falcons had high hopes for Michael Penix Jr. while Kirk Cousins was requesting a trade. Expectations have cooled on Penix, but the Falcons upgraded over Cousins with Tua Tagovailoa signing a one-year deal.

Tagovailoa had the worst passer rating of his career last year, and his 88.5 rating was still better than Cousins' 84.8 last season. A 28-year-old Tagovailoa with something to prove is a much better option than a wantaway 37-year-old Cousins counting his money while biding his time for a release.

No matter who wins the job, both Tagovailoa and Penix will need to find the end zone more often while keeping the ball out of harm's way. Neither did a good job of that last year.

Depth and Competition

New general manager Ian Cunningham didn't fool himself into believing the Falcons were one player away from a Super Bowl when he tackled free agency in March.

Instead, Cunningham wanted to raise the bottom of the 53-man roster and spent his limited money on several players rather than one high-profile acquisition.

The Falcons lost linebacker Kaden Elliss to free agency. He signed Christian Harris and Channing Tindall as free agents, and then drafted Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. as potential replacements.

Defensive tackle David Onyemata left as a free agent. Cunningham traded for Maason Smith, signed Da'Shawn Hand and Chris Williams, and drafted Anterio Thompson.

The depth will not only make the team better in the face of injury, but again, special teams. With better talent and depth down the depth chart, special teams will improve.

The Atlanta Falcons have to be one of the most variable teams in the league when it comes to floor and ceiling. They have an excellent roster that could be tanked by poor quarterback play.

If they get average to above-average quarterback play, they should be in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. If they don't, they'll be targeting one in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft.

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