The Falcons announced a roster move on Thursday that’s tied to the report that they are trading for Chiefs offensive tackle Wanya Morris.
Offensive tackle Storm Norton has been placed on the physically unable to perform list. Norton missed all of last season after having ankle surgery in August and is not ready to return to action yet.
Norton played 31 games for Atlanta in 2023 and 2024. He also played 31 games for the Chargers and one game for the Vikings earlier in his career.
If healthy, Norton likely would have been vying for a reserve role behind Jake Matthews and free agent pickup Jawaan Taylor this offseason. Taylor is likely to start at right tackle after joining the team in the wake of Kaleb McGary’s retirement.
The Falcons swapped late-round draft picks with the Chiefs to acquire Morris, who will now try for the kind of role Norton was ticketed for this season.
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Offensive tackle Wanya Morris wanted to move on from the Chiefs and he’ll be doing so in the near future.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Chiefs have agreed to trade Morris to the Falcons. Per multiple reports, the Chiefs will receive a 2027 sixth-round pick while also sending a 2027 seventh-round selection to Atlanta.
Word earlier this week was that the Chiefs and Morris had agreed to look for trade options.
Morris started 11 games for the Chiefs during the 2024 season and started 16 of his 43 overall appearances for the AFC West club. Falcons right tackle Kaleb McGary retired this offseason, so Morris will join Jake Matthews, Jawaan Taylor, Storm Norton, Michael Jerrell and Jack Nelson as the team’s tackle options.
The Falcons have signed receiver Drake London to a long-term deal. The new-money APY comes in at $35.27 million, putting him ahead of Justin Jefferson for third on the list of highest-paid receivers.
The details have arrived. Here are the full details of the Drake London deal, per a source with knowledge of the terms.
1. Signing bonus: $33.656 million.
2. 2026 base salary: $1.215 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2027 option bonus: $16.49 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2027 offseason workout bonus: $250,000, fully guaranteed (but must be earned).
5. 2027 base salary: $1.26 million, fully guaranteed.
6. 2028 option bonus: $34.445 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of the third day of the 2027 league year.
7. 2028 offseason workout bonus: $250,000, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of the third day of the 2027 league year (but must be earned).
8. 2028 base salary: $1.305 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of the third day of the 2027 league year.
9. 2029 option bonus: $29.615 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of the third day of the 2028 league year.
10. 2029 offseason workout bonus: $250,000.
11. 2029 base salary: $2.635 million.
12. 2029 per-game roster bonus: $1 million total ($58,823 per game).
13. 2030 90-man roster bonus: $2 million, due on the third day of the 2030 league year.
14. 2030 option bonus: $23.1 million.
15. 2030 offseason workout bonus: $250,000.
16. 2030 base salary: $9.15 million.
17. 2030 per-game roster bonus: $1 million total ($58,823 per game).
The deal includes two separate escalators for 2029 and 2030.
In 2029, London’s base salary will increase by $2.1 million if he has 225 catches or 3,000 receiving yards or 24 touchdowns from 2026 through 2028.
The 2030 base salary will increase by $900,000 with 300 catches or 4,000 receiving yards or 32 touchdowns from 2026 through 2029.
In 2029, the base salary increases by $1 million for each prior season from 2026 through 2028 of 110 catches or 1,200 receiving yards or 10 touchdowns or first-team All-Pro or second-team All-Pro or 80-percent playing time plus a Super Bowl win — with a maximum increase of $3 million.
In 2030, the base salary increases by $1 million for each prior season from 2026 through 2029 of 110 catches or 1,200 receiving yards or 10 touchdowns or first-team All-Pro or second-team All-Pro or 80-percent playing time plus a Super Bowl win — with a maximum increase of $3 million.
London had been under contract for 2026, at a fifth-year option of $16.82 million. He now has a five-year deal with a total base value of $157.88 million. The four new years, at $141.06 million, have a new-money average of $35.26 million.
With escalators, London can make another $9 million, pushing the new money to $150.06 million.
The first two years are fully guaranteed at signing, and the third year becomes fully guaranteed in year two, with another $11 million in full guarantees for year four, which vest in year three.
Given that London, in four seasons, has one 1,000-yard season and no Pro Bowls, it’s a very good deal for a player on whom the new regime is clearly counting to do big things.
Michael Penix might . . . or might not be cleared for a return to team work in time for the Falcons’ minicamp next week. Coach Kevin Stefanski is allowing only “we’ll see.”
Until Penix is cleared for football activities, the Falcons don’t have a quarterback competition.
That was the word from quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt on Wednesday.
“It’s tough to have a competition when both guys aren’t competing at the same level right now,” Van Pelt said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “So, it’s hard, and it’ll come. It’ll happen at some point. Mike’s done a great job of getting himself to where he is right now. Really impressive to take 7-on-7 reps and go out and compete. That’s been great. But really, there’s no competition until we can actually evaluate him equally.”
Tua Tagovailoa is taking all of the first-team snaps with Penix participating only in individual drills and 7-on-7 work as he works his way back from an ACL tear. Penix underwent surgery Nov. 25 after his knee injury against the Panthers.
Van Pelt revealed that Penix is taking more 7-on-7 reps than Tagovailoa.
“We split the reps as evenly as we can without Mike taking team reps,” Van Pelt said. “It gets a little lopsided toward Tua.”
Penix had a scheduled day off from practice Monday, and Stefanski wouldn’t provide any timetable or specifics on Penix’s return.
“He’s hitting every milestone that he’s supposed to hit,” Stefanski said. “We’re in constant communication with our medical team and Mike, and I think he’s doing everything he can do and certainly when he may want to do more, we have to hold him back from certain things potentially. But not going to put any timeframes out there just yet, just going to focus on what’s in front of us.”
Bijan Robinson is eligible for a contract extension.
The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on his contract, which is projected to pay him $11.3 million in 2027. But both the Falcons and Robinson want a long-term deal.
Wide receiver Drake London, a first-round pick in 2022, got his extension signed on Monday. No one was happier for London than Robinson.
“Right when I saw it, I called him,” Robinson said. “I was so happy for him. He deserves it. He deserves everything that he gets. Obviously, he’s one of my favorite teammates, probably my top teammate of all time. That’s my best friend. That’s my brother.”
Dan Graziano of ESPN reports that the Falcons and Robinson’s representation are engaged in talks. The Dolphins recently signed De’Von Achane to a deal with a $16 million annual average, with San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey ($19 million per season) and Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million per season) the only running backs ahead of Achane in annual average.
A reporter asked Robinson on Monday whether he is the next player on the Falcons to receive an extension.
“We’ll see, man,” Robinson said, via Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’ll see, because I’m not the type of guy to talk about it. I let them handle all that stuff. So, we’ll see.”
Robinson, the eighth overall pick in 2023, has played every game he has been eligible over the past three seasons. He has 3,910 yards rushing with 25 touchdowns and 198 catches for 1,738 yards and nine touchdowns.
In 2025, he led the league with 2,298 yards from scrimmage in 2025.
Drake London’s contract extension with the Falcons became official on Monday.
The Falcons announced their agreement with the wideout on a four-year extension that keeps him tied to Atlanta through the 2030 season. The team did not reveal the financial terms, but it is reportedly a $141 million deal that includes $100 million in guaranteed money.
“Drake represents, certainly, all the things we believe in,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday, via the team’s website. “How you play this game, how you approach this game, how important this game is to him, how important his teammates are to him.”
London was a Falcons first-round pick in 2022 and the team exercised its fifth-year option on his contract before the 2025 season. London has 309 catches for 3,961 yards and 22 touchdowns in 62 career games.
The Falcons will wrap up their offseason program with a mandatory minicamp next week and quarterback Michael Penix’s level of participation will remain up in the air until they’re closer to the start of the three-day event.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Monday that “we’ll see” if Penix is cleared for 11-on-11 work before the offseason workouts come to an end. Penix is returning from last season’s torn ACL and has progressed to 7-on-7 drills at OTAs.
Stefanski also said that Penix is taking a scheduled rest day on Monday, but that he has hit every milestone in his rehab schedule to this point in the offseason.
Tua Tagovailoa is the other quarterback option for the Falcons and training camp looks like it will be the time for the team to make a decision whether Penix is back to a full workload next week or not.
Falcons third-round pick Zachariah Branch no longer faces criminal charges related to an April arrest in Athens, Georgia.
Branch was arrested and faced two misdemeanors for not following a police officer’s commands, but the wide receiver’s attorney told ESPN that prosecutors did not find sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
“Zachariah cooperated fully with law enforcement and did not commit a crime on the night of his arrest and never should have been arrested,” Kim Stephens said. “We are glad this matter is over and that Mr. Branch’s excellent reputation and good name [are] restored.”
Branch had 81 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns after transferring to Georgia from USC last year.
The Falcons have agreed to terms with wide receiver Drake London on a long-term deal.
According to multiple reports, London will sign a four-year, $141 million extension worth up to $150 million. It includes $100 million guaranteed.
It makes London the third-highest paid receiver in the league, with the highest average per year in team history.
The Falcons had exercised the fifth-year option on London’s contract, worth $16.817 million for 2026.
London, 25, entered the NFL as the eighth overall pick in 2022.
He topped 1,000 yards and 100 catches for the first time in 2024, ranking fourth in the league in receiving yards (1,271) and tied for ninth in receptions (100) and touchdown catches (nine). London dealt with a PCL sprain in his knee in 2025, playing 12 games and totaling 68 receptions for 919 yads and seven touchdowns.
He has 309 receptions for 3,961 yards and 22 touchdowns in his four seasons.
The Colts added another quarterback to the roster on Monday.
They announced the signing of Easton Stick and he will join Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, and Riley Leonard on the depth chart in Indianapolis. Stick spent last season with the Falcons and did not play in any regular season games. He started four games for the Chargers in 2023 and spent five years as a backup in Los Angeles overall.
Stick will take the place of Seth Henigan, who was waived in a corresponding move.
The Colts also signed center Josh Kreutz and cornerback Jai’Onte’ McMillan. Both players went undrafted earlier this year.
Cornerback Wyett Ekeler and guard LaDarius Henderson were waived to round out all of the day’s moves.
