Atlanta

Falcons

The Athletic’s Josh Kendall answered a mailbag question about this by simply saying “whether or not they listen is another question” and noting that Kevin Stefanski sounded “very much like he wanted to coach Pitts for a year.” So the open question on both sides is whether the Falcons would actually be willing to hear out an offer. It’s possible the Falcons get an offer they can’t refuse, but it sounds like based on the reporting the Falcons are more likely to sit tight on Pitts through his franchise tag.

Murray appears to want to sign with the Vikings the most, to which Breer notes “the Vikings are mulling their options,” which could mean they at the very least don’t see Murray as a slam-dunk No. 1 quarterback on the market. Breer also tosses out the Jets, Dolphins, and Falcons as places of interest for Murray. Specifically for the Colts, he notes that it would ease Daniel Jones’ Achilles rehab to have a viable starter in place for the early season. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Murray prefers the Vikings and Colts and neither have the interest in him that he has in them.

The league’s most popular bridge quarterback could be available again if the Cardinals opt to bring in Jimmy Garoppolo, new HC Mike LaFleur’s bestie. Jets OC Frank Reich coached Brissett in Indianapolis, and Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski coached Brissett with the Browns. He’d be an interesting fit in both places, though his fantasy stock will likely take a tumble from the pass-first-and-eternally-trail 2025 Cardinals.

Heath finished last year with a 6/86 line for the Packers and was a healthy scratch after signing with the Falcons in December. The 25-year-old offers special teams experience and will likely look to catch on as a veteran depth piece somewhere.

Who the Falcons will face has yet to be announced. The Madrid game will be among the league’s many international contests during the 2026 regular season. Last year the Falcons played the Colts in the first-ever-NFL regular season game in Berlin. This one will feature an Atlanta team under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, perhaps working with a new quarterback after Michael Penix showed in 2025 that he’s likely not a starting-caliber NFL QB.

There doesn’t appear to be an obvious connection here, but we know the Dolphins are likely to move on from Tagovailoa in the coming weeks, and there’s a good chance the Falcons will be in the quarterback market. Michael Penix is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, and Kirk Cousins is set to be released. Even if Tagovailoa isn’t brought in as a long-term option, he could at least serve as a stand-in while Penix continues to recover, and perhaps earn the starting job with a few strong performances.

It makes sense given the uncertainty over Michael Penix (knee) and his ability to be ready for the start of the season. Stefanski was reportedly crushed last season when the Browns traded Flacco away. We’re not sure that this would be a 1A plan for the Falcons at the position, but it is a reasonable fallback plan.

The Falcons officially placed the franchise tag on Pitts on Tuesday. While the two sides could still come to terms on a long-term deal to keep Pitts in Atlanta beyond next season, Kendall says “the vibe Atlanta is giving when it comes to Pitts” suggests a new deal is unlikely. Pitts caught 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns last season, turning in what was arguably the best year of his five-year career. Still only 25 years old, it’s fair to assume the Falcons will want to keep Pitts under contract for years to come if he can replicate that success again next season. That said, with a new regime in place and head coach Kevin Stefanski still getting a sense of what he can do with his roster, it’s understandable if the team would prefer to see how Pitts performs in 2026 before making any long-term commitments.

Kendall reported earlier this month that it would be “hard to imagine” Allgeier returning to the Falcons in 2026. With that kind of money, it’s easy to understand why. The former fifth-round back is seeking starting RB money, and should have plenty of suitors after impressing during his first four years in the league. Allgeier rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie before being replaced by Bijan Robinson in 2023. He’s averaged over 4.0 YPC just once in his last three seasons, but has forced a missed tackle on 21.7 percent of his carries over that span while also converting nine of his 22 carries inside the opponent’s five-yard line into scores. While he doesn’t offer much as a pass-catcher, Allgeier can help several teams in need of an early down back who can pick up short yards and punch the ball in down near the goal line. He should have plenty of suitors when free agency opens next month.

The move isn’t quite official yet, but the Falcons have already informed Hodge of his release, per Jordan Schultz. He will join a thin pool of wideouts available in free agency. Hodge appeared in a dozen games in 2025, catching three passes for 31 yards. He is largely a special teamer at this point in his career.