The Atlanta Falcons were eliminated from postseason contention following a Week 14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks putting an exclamation point on yet another weird, injury-riddled, underperforming season by a seemingly talented roster.

2nd-year QB Michael Penix Jr. struggled to find consistency, before a partially-torn ACL ended his campaign following Week 9. The back and forth usage of Penix and Kirk Cousins will be a focal point early this offseason.

Atlanta currently boasts around $15M of cap space (against a projected $304M league cap), with 37 contracts accounted for.

A trade back into the first round this past May took away the Falcons’ first-rounder in 2026, giving Atlanta just 5 picks to work with for the upcoming draft (currently).

Early Offseason Questions

  • The defense showed signs of life in 2025, especially as it pertains to the pass rush, but how aggressive will the front office be to bolster the secondary and invest in stopping the run?
  • Speaking of signs of life, TE Kyle Pitts seems to be finding his legs just minutes before free agency. Is he in Atlanta’s plans in any capacity going forward?
  • Kirk Cousins holds a $10M guarantee, a $57.5M cap hit, $35M of dead cap, and potentially a starting role in 2026. How the the Falcons see this through?

Notable Free Agents

(Current Spotrac APY Valuation)

TE Kyle Pitts ($11M)
ED Arnold Ebiketie ($9.3M)
LB Kaden Elliss ($9.2M)
ED Leonard Floyd ($9M)
DL David Onyemata ($8M)
CB Dee Alford ($5.5M)

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Extension Candidate

RB Bijan Robinson

The 23-year-old is on pace to surpass 2,000 scrimmage yards this season, and will enter extension-eligibility this winter as one of the game’s premier, versatile running backs. Atlanta will of course exercise his 5th-year option salary for 2027, but a 3-year, $60M extension becomes a floor this spring.

WR Drake London

The 2022 first-rounder will be entering a contract year in 2026, with a fully guaranteed $16.8M option salary already on the books. London was on pace to surpass his breakout numbers from 2024 before a knee strain got in the way after Week 9. The 24-year-old projects toward a 4 year, $140M extension in our system.

Option Decisions

The Falcons won’t even blink when it comes to exercising a projected $11.5M option salary for RB Bijan Robinson. They should be building it into an offseason extension as we speak.

Bubble Candidates

QB Kirk Cousins

Release Candidate

There are a lot of directions this situation can go, but an outright release still remains the most likely at this juncture. Atlanta will roll into 2026 with limited cap availability ($15M estimate), and buying out the Cousins contract can open up $22.5M more immediately. This decision comes down to the Falcons’ internal thoughts about their QB1 role in 2026. If Cousins is still in the plans, a salary conversion to lower the cap hit can come into focus. 

WR Darnell Mooney

Release Candidate

Mooney signed a 3 year, $39M free agent deal back in 2024 that includes $26M fully guaranteed through 2025. With the financial security now behind him, Atlanta is expected to move on from the 28-year-old this March, freeing up nearly $7.5M of cap space.

S Jessie Bates III

Trade/Release Candidate

The 28-year-old is still plenty dangerous in Atlanta’s secondary, but we might be seeing signs of a bit of regression through the balance of 2025. With 2026 being a contract year, and Bates holding a $24.7M cap figure, there’s reason to consider this a fluid situation heading into the winter months. The Falcons hold $18.25M of dead cap on the deal next season.

Potential Cap Conversions

G Chris Lindstrom has 3 years, $53M remaining on his contract, though the guarantees have now expired. Atlanta can secure nearly all of his $16M for 2026 with a simple salary conversion, freeing up $11.8M of cap space in the process.

T Jake Matthews’s 2026 salary is already fully guaranteed. Processing a simple salary conversion on it will open up $11.7M of cap space.

An extension for WR Drake London should lower his current $16.8M cap figure for 2026.

RELATED LINKS
2026 Falcons Salary Cap Table
Falcons 2026 Free Agents
Spotrac Offseason Guides