What Fans Need to Know About Falcons' Salary Cap Situation

Falcons took a conservative offseason approach, but big spending may come in 2027.

Falcons Build Depth Now, Leave Door Open for Aggressive 2027 Spending | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are through the bulk of their offseason, and their conservative approach has been readily apparent. Let’s take a look at what they have done thus far, and what it means for them moving forward. 

The Falcons drafted six players, but none will be overly expensive since they did not have a first-round pick. These rookies will cost the Falcons just under $7.1 million. 

Meanwhile, free agency produced a flurry of new players to infuse this roster with depth – albeit, largely just for the 2026 season since those were almost exclusively one-year deals. 20 new players joined the roster, but Ian Cunningham did not break the bank to make any of those deals (just $33.4 million in total guarantees). 

The one-year deals and modest guarantees allow Atlanta to remain competitive this season without limiting its ability to reshape the roster next spring.

The biggest moves of the offseason came with the sudden retirement of right tackle Kaleb McGary (freed up about $14 million in cap space for both 2026 and 2027) and placing the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (carries an approximate cap hit of $15 million). Additionally, the releases of quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Darnell Mooney resulted in $33.5 million in dead money. 

So after all that, the Falcons have $17.35 million in effective cap space to spend for the remainder of this season (15th in the NFL). 

With that money, Cunningham could continue to add some veterans on one-year deals, but extensions are still on the horizon for several Falcons. Running back Bijan Robinson (expected to be in the range of about $20 million per year average annual value) and wide receiver Drake London ($33 million AAV) are both in line this summer for deals. Pitts ($17 million AAV), left guard Matthew Bergeron ($15 million AAV), linebacker Divine Deablo ($12 million AAV), and safety Jessie Bates III ($17 million AAV) could also be in the mix for new contracts.

But the 2027 Falcons could be due for a major uptick in spending. 

The pending extensions will mean this number could fluctuate significantly, but Cunningham has given the Falcons significant financial flexibility next offseason. Their spending money will balloon to more than $125 million in effective cap space (4th in the NFL), giving the front office the ability to build a roster in their image. 

About half the active roster will turn over next offseason, so that money will evaporate rather quickly. The Falcons have positioned themselves to build aggressively and decisively. 

Until then, 2026 becomes a proving ground and a season to evaluate which players could be part of the long-term core and which positions will define the next phase of roster construction in Atlanta.

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