Stuck in the Nest: Why Are Media Pundits So Low on the 2026 Atlanta Falcons?
It has been rather arduous to be a part of the Falcons faithful over the past decade. From the collapse in the Super Bowl to an interception bouncing off a safety's knee in the Divisional Round to an ongoing eight-year playoff drought. The Atlanta Falcons stare down the barrel of what could be yet another disappointing year, according to most NFL media pundits. What about this Falcons team makes them considered one of the lower-tiered teams coming into the 2026 season?
Despite the strong finish to an admittedly frustrating 2025 season, a lot of NFL analysts seem to be down on Atlanta going into the 2026 regular season. PFF rated the Falcons as the 23rd overall team coming into the regular season. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur predicted the team to finish with under six-and-a-half wins, stating that “This might be a sneaky bottom-five roster talent-wise.” While that statement sounds completely outlandish, it does go to show how down the media is on the Dirty Birds this upcoming season, but why?
To rip the band-aid off immediately, the quarterback play could, once again, be a massive issue. Simply put, there are too many question marks on both potential starting quarterbacks going into the season. Former Miami Dolphin Tua Tagovailoa statistically graded out as one of the worst quarterbacks in 2025. It got so bad for him that the former Alabama quarterback was benched and subsequently released only during the second year of a four-year $212.4 million extension he signed during the 2024 offseason. Atlanta has taken a flier on the former Pro Bowler, hoping to get some stability at the position. Their second option is the former eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Michael Penix. Despite going into his third year as a pro, Penix has yet to record a full season’s worth of games as a starting quarterback. The former Washington Husky suffered through a rogues gallery of injuries during his collegiate career and, lo and behold, he suffered yet another season-ending leg injury in the middle of the 2025 season. The jury is still out on whether Penix is an actual starting-caliber quarterback or not, but it’s safe to say that there are way more questions than answers between both signal callers. It’s gotten so drastic that there have been calls about bringing Falcons legend Matt Ryan out of retirement to play some snaps. The sheer amount of mystery at arguably the most important position in football has left most media pundits skeptical about how successful Atlanta could be offensively.
Despite having some truly elite talent on both offense and defense, Atlanta still has glaring holes that may bite them during the regular season. Wide receiver Drake London has been one of the best pass catchers in the league when he’s healthy, but outside of him, the depth gets concerning. Outside of the aforementioned London and tight end Kyle Pitts, the Falcons lack another reliable pass catcher. They’ll have to rely on rookie Zachariah Branch and veterans like Olomide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson to pick up the production that the receivers from the season prior lacked. Will the new additions on the offensive line benefit the team or harm their quarterback play? Can new head coach Kevin Stefanski flash what her showed the NFL world when he won Coach of the Year and lead this Falcons offense back to a consistent form?
The defense going through a youth movement could be seen as a good thing; there are still many question marks that linger about their floor and ceiling. Will rookie sensations Xavier Watts and Jalon Walker make a year-two leap? Is fellow sophomore James Pearce going to face any disciplinary measures for his arrest during the offseason? The front four still lacks a reliable nose tackle to stuff up the middle; the team is on the lighter side at that position. What will 2026 second-round cornerback Avieon Terrell look like during the 2026 season, and will he find success opposite his brother AJ Terrell? The defense suffered greatly when linebacker Divine Diablo went down with an injury during the 2025 season. Will the additions at linebacker patch up that potential problem? This litany of questions about the defense also factor into why so much of the NFL media is lower on the Falcons. As underrated as they may be, the Dirty Birds have a lot of questions to answer if they want some respect to be put on their name.
