Atlanta

Falcons

Pearce is in the middle of an ongoing legal situation stemming from a February arrest that resulted in him being charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor. The 22-year-old pass-rusher recently entered a pre-trial intervention program that can result in all charges being dismissed if he meets the conditions of the program, and the league is reportedly “closely monitoring all developments” with Pearce. We don’t yet know if the league plans to hand down a suspension to Pearce, but it wouldn’t be surprising if some disciplinary action was taken after everything is resolved in his case.

Penix participated in the Falcons’ OTAs last month and was splitting first-team reps with Tua Tagovailoa, but the third-year quarterback has not yet been cleared for 11-on-11 sessions. With the Falcons starting minicamp this week, we’ll soon have an answer on whether or not he’ll be cleared or be forced to wait until training camp to try and return to the field. Penix is nearly seven months removed from surgery to repair the torn ACL he suffered in Week 11 of last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising doctors said it was too early for him to return for 11-on-11’s. If he’s unable to go, Tagovailoa would get all of the reps with the first team offense, which could position him well ahead of the QB battle that’s expected to take place in training camp if Penix is healthy.

Thompkins will likely just contribute on special teams, if he makes the roster. Through four NFL seasons, he has returned 45 kicks and 42 punts. The Bills also waived RB Desmond Reid with an injury designation. He will probably revert back to the roster after passing through waivers. The Bills also waived CB Dorian Strong with a non-football injury designation. In February, GM Brandon Beane said Strong (neck) was “going to have a procedure that will determine whether he can play.” Unfortunately, this could be the answer.

Norton is still recovering from the ankle injury that sidelined him last year. By placing him on the reserve/PUP list, the Falcons do not have to count him on their 53-player roster. He must, however, miss the first four games of the season. He will be eligible to face the Ravens in Week 5.

Two days ago, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Chiefs and Morris had agreed to explore trade options because Morris wanted the chance to play more often. The 25-year-old, former third-round pick has logged 1,059 career snaps at left tackle and 88 at right tackle, though he has yet to stand out in pass protection. Despite his struggles, Morris provides at least mild insurance behind 34-year-old LT Jake Matthews.

Just yesterday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano opined that the Falcons might want to see how Pitts fits in their new offense before committing to a long-term contract. Today, his colleague Marc Raimondi published comments from Pitts, who described the tag as being “kind of like my fifth-year option, but it’s a sixth-year option.” Pitts believes that the new staff’s tag use shows that they see something in him and “trust” him. Tagged players sometimes hold out or argue for a long-term deal. Not Pitts. He is ready to play. Stefanski, a former tight ends coach, has helped deliver TE1 results over the years. Per PFF, flats and hitches were Pitts’ most run routes last year. Based on Stefanski’s 2025 play designs with the Browns, Pitts could run them even more this year, while also running more drags, curls and potentially, overs. Pitts is a TE1 this season, but his range of potential outcomes is still being decided. Hopefully, we learn more during training camp next month.

Pitts is set to play on the franchise tag worth $15.045 million if he and the Falcons don’t agree to an extension by July 15. With Drake London signing a $141 million extension and Bijan Robinson also set to cash in this offseason, it’s unclear if the Falcons will also extend Pitts. The 25-year-old tight end had an excellent season in 2025, but was inconsistent in the previous four seasons. Graziano writes that if no extension is agreed upon and the Falcons struggle early in the season, he could become a trade candidate. He mentions the Raves as a team that would likely have interest.

London can make up to $150 million on the new contract, which includes $100 million guaranteed. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the deal “makes London the third-highest-paid receiver in the league with the highest average per year in Falcons franchise history.” Over the course of his four-year career, London has caught 309-of-473 targets for 3,961 yards and 22 touchdowns. A knee injury sidelined him in Weeks 12-15 last year, yet he still led the team with seven receiving touchdowns. London, 24, has not yet been named to a Pro Bowl, nor has he earned All-Pro honors, but it is reasonable to expect him to bring home a few accolades in the coming seasons. London is a WR1 for 2026.

Stefanski went on to explain that he believes accuracy is “the most important trait at the position,” after referring to Tagovailoa’s accuracy as being “God-given.” Stefanski then quickly added that “all” of the Falcons quarterbacks have this innate trait, but it was easy to see that his focus was on the former Dolphins quarterback. Tagovailoa’s downfield passing showed signs of decline last season, but he has evidently earned a public compliment from his new head coach. The battle for the Falcons’ starting job between Tagovailoa and QB Michael Penix continues.

“It’s all very intentional,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters when asked about the team’s quarterback rotation in offseason practices. Penix, coming off knee surgery this offseason, is participating in individual drills and seven on seven drills for now. When he’s ready, Penix is expected to split first-team snaps with Tagovailoa, by far the more accurate of the two Atlanta QBs. Falcons president of football operations Matt Ryan said in early May that he was unsure if Penix would be fully healthy to start training camp in late July. Stefanski has said the team will not “rush” Penix back under center. Tagovailoa, who ranks sixth in EPA per drop back over the past three NFL seasons, would seem to be the odds-on favorite to start the regular season as Atlanta’s starter.