Atlanta

Falcons

The second-year linebacker will be sidelined for the entirety of the 2026 campaign after suffering an ACL tear in training camp this week. Walker was carted off the practice field and later diagnosed with the torn ACL. The 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Walker last year had 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. His absence will be a blow to an otherwise solid Atlanta defense.

This has been sort of the working assumption for a while as Tagovailoa is taking first-team reps while Michael Penix hasn’t been cleared for full-contact work yet. Tagovalioa remained limited with a back injury today in camp, but obviously if there’s no healthy Penix, there can be no competition.

Walker will have an MRI to confirm, but this is a brutal runout for a Falcons pass rusher unit that already had plenty of question marks. The second-year player was carted off after suffering the injury earlier today.

It’s too early to know for sure, of course, but the scene around the injury was not good. He was carted off with his face in his palm, his teammates were all taking knees around him, and the coaching staff concluded the practice after the play. It certainly has all the things you’d associate with a long-term injury.

Fowler settles on Pitts being a “certified first or second option in the passing game.” Pitts sets up as a potential high-end TE1 on an offense that loves to use the tight end, and the fact that he finished second in fantasy points among TEs last year is proof of concept that he was already playing better in 2025. With his contract taken care of, perhaps this will be the year Pitts ascends to the top of the tier, the writer said forgetting any of the last five years had happened.

The deal includes a whopping $51 million in guarantees. Robinson becomes the highest-paid running back in NFL history, surpassing Saquon Barkely. Under the new deal, Robinson, 24, will make $22.25 million per year, according to ESPN. This ends Robinson’s brief hold-in at Falcons training camp. Robinson over his first three NFL seasons has totaled 5,648 yards and 34 touchdowns as the centerpiece of the Atlanta offense. That won’t change under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who has talked up Robinson’s pass-catching ability this offseason. Robinson should be among the first two picks in every fantasy format this summer.

Bergeron was entering the final year of his rookie contract and was paid like a top-10 guard here. This has been a busy offseason for the Falcons and they haven’t even gotten to Bijan Robinson yet. Bergeron should remain a fixture on the interior line for the Falcons over the short-term future.

Friday marked the first time Tagovailoa has had a chance to speak publicly with the media since training camp began. He hasn’t had a chance to practice in full with the team since camp opened, and said he isn’t sure when he will be a full participant, but also added that if this were a game week, he would likely be able to play. Tagovailoa has been sidelined since the start of camp with what has been reported as a “tight back” that flared up last week. It’s an issue he has never had to deal with before, per Tagovailoa, who said he believes the decision to sideline him early on is “just a precaution thing.” Tagovailoa’s quotes on Friday sound like those of a player who should be on the field sooner rather than later, but we’ll continue to provide updates on this situation until he is back in full capacity.

Tagovailoa has now been on the field in some capacity in back-to-back days, but he’s still not participating in team drills. Tagovailoa was sidelined to start practice this week due to a “tight back,” but the team hasn’t suggested this is anything to be concerned about. Hopefully these last two days are signs that Tagovailoa is trending toward a return in the near future. Until then, rookie UDFA Jack Strand will continue to work with the first-team offense.

Branch was a screen game dominator in college, with speed to spare. Raimondi thinks the Falcons will attempt to replicate his Georgia game early on, but Branch has a chance to become “the No. 3 guy, maybe even the No. 2 guy at some point.” Falcons WRs Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus sit in those two spots. Branch is unlikely to contribute meaningfully in fantasy early in the year, but he is worth keeping an eye on in-season.