The Falcons will be bringing a second punter to training camp.
Matthew Hayball signed with the team on Thursday. Hayball tried out for the team during their mandatory minicamp this week.
Hayball handled the punting duties for the Saints during the 2024 season. He averaged 40.4 net yards per kick in 17 games for New Orleans, but was released last August and did not play anywhere else in 2025.
The Falcons signed Jake Bailey as a free agent this offseason and both players are now set to go to camp with the team.
Hayball is Australian and the Falcons received an international player exemption for the signing, so Hayball does not count against their 90-man roster limit.
Falcons Clips
The Falcons announced the addition of three players to their 90-man roster on Wednesday.
All three of the players that the Falcons signed — defensive end Keshawn Banks, defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell and wide receiver Antwane Wells — played in the UFL this year.
Banks had 24 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks with the Orlando Storm while Maxwell recorded 23 tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks with the DC Defenders. Wells caught 25 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns for the Columbus Aviators.
The Falcons waived wide receiver Casey Washington, defensive tackle Elijah Garcia and defensive end CJ Nunnally in corresponding moves. Washington was a 2024 sixth-round pick who had seven catches in 15 games for Atlanta.
Falcons receiver Drake London did not participate in Tuesday’s minicamp practice, but it is not expected to be a major issue.
Via Will McFadden of the team’s website, head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Wednesday that London is dealing with a “little thing” and the club is being “ultra cautious” with the wideout.
Stefanski added that London could have practiced, but the head coach decided to hold him out of the session.
Safety Xavier Watts is in a similar situation, as he was held out of practice for a minor injury.
Additionally, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN, Stefanski said quarterback Trevor Siemian will be held out of Wednesday’s practice, but should be fine for training camp.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is expected to be available for full-team drills once training camp opens next month.
That will truly begin the competition between Penix and Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta’s QB1 to open the 2026 season under new head coach Kevin Stefanski.
But with the two QBs having been in the same room, working together for months, Penix told reporters on Tuesday that he has a solid relationship with the former Dolphins quarterback.
“It’s been good. It’s been nothing but good since he got here,” Penix said, via transcript from the team. “We know we’re in competition, but at the same time, we are on the same team. We have the same goals, and that’s to see this team win football games and help do that in our way.
“Man, we’ve been good together, and it’s always going to be like that.”
We’ll see how the relationship between the two lefty QBs continues to develop as the competition heats up over the summer.
The Falcons have announced their plans for this summer’s training camp.
Their first practice of camp will be held on July 29 and the team will welcome season ticket holders as guests for their practice on July 31. That session will be the first of 10 open to fans.
Practices on August 1, August 3-5, August 7-8, and August 10-12 will be open to all fans. Most of those workouts will be held at the team’s practice facility, but the August 8 practice will be held at night on the field of a local high school. The team is expected to announce more details about that session in the future.
The Falcons will play their first preseason game against the Broncos in Atlanta on August 14. They’ll head to Indianapolis for joint practices with the Colts before their second preseason contest and then go to Miami for their finale.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix won’t do any 11-on-11 work before the end of the team’s offseason program, but he is planning for things to be different when training camp opens next month.
Penix is recovering from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season in Week 11 and has been doing all of the other on-field activities during OTAs this spring. He said on Tuesday that he feels he is where he needs to be at this point in the calendar and that he’s looking forward to taking the final step in his return to full participation once camp is open.
“That’s the expectation,” Penix said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. “I know I go see my doctor before all that kicks off. So, it’s really up to my doc.”
Penix’s full return to practice will kick off the most spirited part of his competition with Tua Tagovailoa for the team’s starting job. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that the team is “not giving out any jobs in June,” so July will be the time to truly focus on how everyone is faring in Atlanta.
Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is participating in the team’s mandatory minicamp this week, the first time he has returned since his arrest for a February incident with his former girlfriend.
Pearce was charged with three felonies for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing the police and resisting an officer with violence. He entered a 12-month pretrial intervention program in May that could result in all charges being dropped.
Pearce still faces possible discipline from the NFL, and Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday that the team has received no update on the league’s investigation.
“I’m not going to give the specifics about the conversations with any player,” Stefanski said, via Josh Kendall of TheAthletic.com. “I like to keep things private, but he understands what’s expected of him.”
Pearce will have limited participation in practice this week after not participating in the voluntary offseason work.
“I really can’t speak to the past,” Stefanski said. “What’s in the future? I’m excited that everybody’s here, ready to learn.”
Pearce is not expected to speak to the media this week, a team representative told Kendall.
Pearce, the 26th overall pick of last year’s draft, appeared in all 17 games with three starts as a rookie. He finished the season with 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits and five passes defensed.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has not received clearance from the team’s medical staff to participate in team work, yet. That means he will continue with individual drills and seven-on-seven during the mandatory minicamp this week.
It also means that his competition with free agent signee Tua Tagovailoa won’t begin until training camp.
“We’re not giving out any jobs in June,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday, via Josh Kendall of TheAthletic.com. “With any competition, those things work themselves out down the line. As a team, we have to realize that we’re all working forward.”
Stefanski added he is “very comfortable” with Penix’s progress as he works his way back from an ACL tear. Penix underwent surgery Nov. 25 after his left knee injury against the Panthers last season.
But Stefanski declined to say whether he expects Penix to be cleared for the start of training camp in a little over a month.
Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has reported for minicamp.
Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pearce is back in the Falcons’ building for the first time since he was arrested in February. Pearce is expected to participate in minicamp, but is not anticipated to address the media.
He was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence, as well as a misdemeanor count of stalking.
Late last month, Pearce accepted a one-year diversion program to have the charges dropped.
To this point, the league has not announced the conclusion of a review it was conducting for possible discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy.
The No. 26 overall pick of last year’s draft, Pearce appeared in all 17 games with three starts as a rookie. He finished the season with 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, and five passes defensed.
Former NFL receiver Andre Rison has been jailed after pleading guilty to second-offense DUI.
TMZ reports that Rison will spend two days behind bars in Michigan, from Friday to Sunday.
Rison pleaded guilty this week after an August 2025 arrest. He was sentenced to five total days and 18 months probation.
A first-round pick of the Colts in 1989, Rison was traded to the Falcons in 1990. He spent five seasons in Atlanta and one in Cleveland.
He was released by the Browns after the 1995 season. Rison then signed with the Jaguars, who cut him after 10 games. The Packers claimed Rison on waivers, and he later scored the first touchdown in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XXXI victory.
Rison spent the next three years with the Chiefs and one with the Raiders. After his last NFL season (2000), he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL for part of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, winning a Grey Cup to cap his first year.
Rison was a five-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro in 1990, and a second-team All-Pro from 1991 through 1993. He finished his career with 10,205 receiving yards (54th all time) and 84 receiving touchdowns (tied for 23rd with Mark Clayton, Irving Fryar, and Tommy McDonald).
