Emmanuel Acho Makes Bold Statement About Kevin Stefanski in Atlanta

The Atlanta Falcons made a hard push for Kevin Stefanski. Rather than gamble on a first-time head coach, Atlanta chose experience and stability, locking down Stefanski as its 20th head coach in a move that has quickly drawn praise across the league.

Opinions have come pouring in on the decision the Falcons made. One of the strongest endorsements came from NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho, who framed the hire as an immediate statement to the rest of the NFC South.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

Acho, who hosts the YouTube program Speakeasy, had some glowing comments about the Falcons’ new head coach.

"Kevin Stefanski walks into the NFC South and he's the best head coach right now"

– @EmmanuelAcho is excited about the Stefanski hire and feels it will be a great fit for the Falcons

WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW DISCUSSING ➡️ https://t.co/f4H3dQB55c pic.twitter.com/Isqtfu2g4H
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) January 18, 2026

“Couldn’t have been more right,” Acho bluntly said about the decision to hire Stefanski. “Here’s why: I do not want to entrust Bijan Robinson, Michael Penix coming off an injury in the year that I need to figure out if I’m picking up his fifth-year option, Drake London and Kyle Pitts – if I decide to franchise tag him, I don’t want to entrust them to a first-time head coach. I just don’t.

“Bijan Robinson is going to sit in his prime for the next three to four years, and I’m not going to give a first-time head coach three of those years. Michael Penix is coming off of a year that we need to make a decision about him. I don’t want to entrust that to a first-time head coach,” he continued. “I want to entrust this incredibly young, but incredibly talented offense, to a guy who’s been through the fire, both good and bad. Stefanski’s had some bad, which he should learn from, and Stefanski’s had some good that has taught him. The Falcons made, in my mind, the best decision.”

His argument cuts to the heart of Atlanta’s thinking, that the Falcons believe they are too talented to entrust their future to a developmental head coach.

Acho continued with his explanation that the Falcons are young and talented, citing the need to solidify an experienced defensive coordinator. The team took care of that on Monday, announcing that Jeff Ulbrich would retain his position.

With that locked up, Acho’s thought is that the Falcons have put themselves in a position to compete for the NFC South title right away.

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!

“Kevin Stefanski, at this height, has done really good things. You don’t have to call them great things, but at a minimum, he’s done really good things. Kevin Stefanski got really good [things] out of Baker Mayfield. He got really good [things] out of Nick Chubb… I want to trust my young offense to Stefanski.”

Acho finished his thought with some exceptionally high praise for the Falcons’ new head coach, saying he walks into a division where he instantly becomes the top dog.

“As I look at it right now, I like Kevin Stefanski as much as, if not more than, I like Kellen Moore. I like him as much as, if not more than, I like what Todd Bowles has done. I like him as much as, if not more than, I like Dave Canales,” Acho said. "Kevin Stefanski walks into the NFC South, and he's the best head coach right now."