The Falcons haven’t fully committed to Michael Penix as their starting quarterback for the 2026 season at this point, but they gave some hints about how they’ll use Penix or any other quarterback on Wednesday.
Penix has largely played out of the pistol or shotgun since entering the NFL, but offensive coordinator Tommy Rees suggested that would not be the case in the offense that will be installed this offseason. Rees, who came over from Cleveland with head coach Kevin Stefanski, said that his goal as a play-caller is to “keep the defense off balance” and that one way of doing that is by lining up differently.
“You can do it both,” Rees said at a press conference. “I think there’s definite benefits to being under center. That’s been a huge part of the identity of Kevin going back throughout his career. It’s been identity as we’ve worked together and something that we believe in.”
Rees did not comment on the chances of Penix earning the starting role, but he did say the quarterback has “extreme arm talent” and praised his toughness during his first public comments since joining Atlanta’s staff.
Falcons Clips
The Falcons are hiring Chase Blackburn as their assistant special teams coach, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
Blackburn will work under Craig Aukerman in Atlanta.
The Rams fired Blackburn with two games remaining in the 2025 regular season after a special teams meltdown against the Seahawks.
Blackburn, 42, played 10 seasons in the NFL, winning a pair of Super Bowls with the Giants. His coaching career began in 2016 as an assistant special teams coach with the Panthers. Carolina promoted him to special teams coordinator in 2018, and Matt Rhule retained Blackburn in 2020.
The Panthers fired Blackburn after the 2021 season.
After one season as the Titans’ assistant special teams coach, Blackburn joined the Rams in 2023.
The start of the offseason means the start of thoughts about which players will be moving teams as free agents next month.
Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich hopes that linebacker Kaden Elliss is not on that list. Elliss has started every game for Atlanta over the last three seasons and he’s posted 380 tackles, 12.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for the team.
Ulbrich said at a Wednesday press conference that he “would love Kaden back” while citing his ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage and off the ball.
“The player that he is gave us this really unique flexibility. . . . He gave us some rare multiplicity within the defense and I would love him back,” Ulbrich said. “To replace Kaden would take more than one human being.”
Tight end Kyle Pitts, edge rusher Leonard Floyd, defensive lineman David Onyemata, and edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie are other notable Falcons currently on track for free agency.
Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is not sure whether he needs to prepare not to have edge rusher James Pearce on his defense for some or all of the 2026 season.
Pearce is facing two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and counts of aggravated stalking, fleeing and eluding police officers, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence to his person stemming from a domestic disturbance with his ex-girlfriend. Ulbrich was asked today whether he is preparing for Pearce not to be on the team.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. Just don’t have all the details of it yet and where this thing will go, so we’ll see,” Ulbrich said. “It’s still so early. We’re not there yet either way.”
Asked his reaction when he heard about Pearce’s arrest, Ulbrich said, “I was obviously disappointed.”
The Falcons traded up in the first round to draft Pearce last year. He finished his rookie season with 10.5 sacks and was third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
The Falcons issued a statement after edge rusher James Pearce’s arrest last weekend that said the team was aware of the incident and would not make further comment “on an open legal matter.”
The matter remains open and head coach Kevin Stefanski stuck to the no comment answer in a brief opening statement ahead of a press conference involving the team’s coordinators.
“On the James Pearce situation, there is really nothing to add,” Stefanski said. “I’ll defer, our coaches will defer to the statement that was put out. So, respectfully, I understand there are questions but there’s not much to add there.”
Pearce faces five felony charges and one misdemeanor charge after allegedly ramming WNBA player Rickea Jackson’s car multiple times before allegedly evading and resisting arrest. Jackson had been trying to end a relationship with Pearce and has filed paperwork saying she wants to testify against Pearce.
As the case against Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. continues to unfold, the alleged victim has made it clear that she is willing to fully and completely cooperate.
Via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com, lawyers representing WNBA player Rickea Jackson filed an official notice on Tuesday indicating that she is “willing to testify” against Pearce, if/when the domestic violence charges against him go to trial.
Jackson’s attorneys also asked the court to devote “all possible resources and personnel” to the case to “conclude it as soon as practicable and bring justice to her and the people of the State of Florida.”
Pearce faces five felony charges and one misdemeanor account arising from a Saturday incident during which he allegedly rammed Jackson’s car multiple times before allegedly evading and resisting arrest.
Pearce, through his lawyers, has proclaimed his innocence as to all allegations. The NFL has said it will review the case under the Personal Conduct Policy.
The Falcons announced several coaching moves on Tuesday.
They have hired LaTroy Lewis as assistant defensive line coach and Ricky Manning as assistant defensive backs/nickels coach. Additionally, the Falcons have retained John Timu and promoted him to outside linebackers coach and retained Barrett Ruud as inside linebackers coach.
Lewis spent the 2025 season as the defensive line coach at Toledo, following three seasons (2022-24) at Michigan, where he was part of the team’s 2023 national championship. He started as a graduate assistant before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach in 2024.
Manning spent the 2024 season as the cornerbacks coach for the Raiders following three seasons (2021-23) as a defensive assistant for the Jets. While with New York, he worked with a secondary that finished fifth in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed per game (168.3) and second in passes defensed (88).
He began his NFL coaching career as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Seahawks, spending two seasons (2016-17) in the role.
Timu has spent the past two seasons as a defensive assistant for the Falcons, working closely with the team’s defensive line in 2025. He helped guide Atlanta’s pass rush to a franchise-record 57 sacks in 2025. That included 8.5 sacks from second-year defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus, a total that led all NFC interior defensive linemen.
Timu joined the Atlanta staff after three seasons (2021-23) with the Chargers, where he held several roles. He was defensive line coach (2023), defensive assistant (2022) and a Alex G. Spanos Coaching Fellow (2021).
When is a primary football executive truly the primary football executive?
Regarding the Falcons’ hiring of former Bears assistant G.M. Ian Cunningham to be the successor to Terry Fontenot, the NFL decided that Cunningham will not be the primary football executive. Which prevented the Bears from getting a pair of third-round picks under the provision in the Rooney Rule that rewards teams for developing minority employees who secure promotions.
“The policy for receiving picks pertains to the head coach or the primary football executive,” the NFL told PFT on Tuesday via email. “The primary football executive position was filled by Matt Ryan.”
Ryan was hired to be the Falcons’ president of football operations. After he took the job, it was reported that the Bears would not receive compensatory draft picks if Cunningham (who also interviewed for Ryan’s job) becomes the G.M.
The issue resurfaced last week, after Ryan said Cunningham will control free agency and the draft.
“He’s in charge of that space,” Ryan said regarding Cunningham. “He is driving this boat, and he’s the one leading us moving forward. This is Ian’s regular season right now, and he is in it; he is driving the ship right now.”
Our question to the league was prompted by Ryan’s comments. The answer, as quoted above, is that Ryan is the primary football executive.
Here’s where it gets confusing. When the Falcons hired Fontenot to be the G.M. in 2022, the Saints (Fontenot’s former employer) received the compensatory picks. But Rich McKay was the team president and CEO — and as of 2022 he was involved in football operations.
We’ve asked for an explanation as to why the picks were awarded then, if they’re not being awarded now. Stay tuned.
The Browns have added two more candidates to the list of possible defensive coordinators on Todd Monken’s coaching staff.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that they have requested interviews with Panthers passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley and Falcons passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Cooley has spent the last three years on Dave Canales’s staff in Carolina and the last two seasons in his current role. He spent three seasons with the Rams and made several stops on the college circuit before moving into the NFL.
Rutenberg was a candidate in Tennessee before the Titans hired Gus Bradley as their coordinator. Rutenberg joined the Falcons after spending four years with the Jets.
More details have emerged regarding the recent arrest of Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr., who has professed innocence through his lawyer.
Via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com, Rickea Jackson of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks had been trying to end a relationship with Pearce. Jackson told police that, on Saturday morning, she saw Pearce approaching her vehicle in a white Lamborghini SUV. When she stopped at a red light, Pearce got out and tried to open the door to her car.
She drove away, heading toward a police station. He got back inside his vehicle and chased her. Jackson said Pearce rammed his SUV into the rear end of her car. After she tried to drive away, he allegedly drove head-on into her vehicle.
When police responded to the crime scene, they saw Pearce standing outside his car, door open. When an officer pulled his gun and ordered Pearce to get on the ground, Pearce got back inside closed the door. The officer opened the door. Pearce pulled it shut and locked it.
Pearce then drove away, striking the officer in the knee.
Police chased Pearce until his SUV crashed. He got out and ran. Officers caught him, and he allegedly continued to resist arrest.
Pearce faces five felony counts and a misdemeanor charge.
“We look forward to working with the State Attorney’s Office in fully investigating this case and uncovering the truth,” Pearce’s lawyers said in a statement issued to Raimondi. “Mr. Pearce maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story. We look forward to vigorously defending our client and remain confident that he will continue contributing positively to both his team and the community he serves so well.”
The NFL separately said the situation will be reviewed under the Personal Conduct Policy.
