Falcons Could Be NFL’s Next Sleeper Under Kevin Stefanski

With a new head coach and talented roster, the Atlanta Falcons may be a sneaky good team in 2026.

The Athletic’s NFL staff writer Mike Jones picked Atlanta as an underrated team for 2026 as the franchise leans on first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski and All-Pro stars like running back Bijan Robinson and safety Jessie Bates III.

“Arthur Blank (Falcons owner) opted for change, and Kevin Stefanski inherits a team that features plenty of talent, with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, A.J. Terrell, Jessie Bates III, James Pearce, and Xavier Watts leading the way,” Jones wrote.

The Falcons were one of 10 teams to make head-coaching changes, moving on from Raheem Morris and hiring Stefanski. Previously, Stefanski spent six seasons leading the Cleveland Browns and won two NFL Coach of the Year awards. He finished his tenure with a 45-56 record before being fired this January.

Morris did leave some building blocks in Atlanta, though, with the team finishing the 2025 season on a four-game winning streak.

But it was too little, too late. The Falcons were already eliminated from playoff contention, and Morris was fired after consecutive 8-9 seasons.

Jones also selected the Falcons’ NFC South counterparts, the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, as underrated squads in 2026. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t included in the 10-team list detailing underrated and overrated teams, five apiece.

That could make for some interesting football in the division as the Panthers, the defending NFC South champions, the Falcons, and the Buccaneers all finished tied at 8-9 last year. The Saints were 6-11.

With all the preseason hype, it’s clear that the Falcons have the personnel to make some noise and potentially end their eight-year NFL Playoffs drought.

But the biggest elephant in the room is who will be under center at the season’s start.

Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa are in a starting quarterback battle. Both have shown flashes, but Penix has battled season-ending knee injuries since college at Indiana before two injury-free seasons at Washington. At the same time, Tagovailoa has struggled with concussions and was on pace to lead the NFL in interceptions before being benched by the Miami Dolphins in 2025.

“If [Stefanski] can figure out the quarterback situation and keep one of those two on the field, Atlanta could challenge for the division,” Jones said in The Athletic.

The quarterback battle hits the next gear, and Stefanski will get his first true assessment of his new team when the Falcons hold their first training camp practice on Wednesday, July 29. Rookies report to training camp on Friday, July 24, and veterans arrive on Tuesday, July 28.

Preseason opens at home against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 14 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta travels to Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium to face the Steelers on Sept. 13 to open the regular season.

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