Andrew Buller-Russ
Last year was a challenging one for the Atlanta Falcons. Just ask Raheem Morris, who was ousted after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. To replace him, the Falcons have hired a more experienced hand in Kevin Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner.
Now he’ll be given a chance to prove his worth, and according to some ESPN analysts, Stefanski has his work cut out for him in Atlanta.
Despite Bijan Robinson, Falcons Named One of NFL’s Worst Rosters
Even though the Falcons just narrowly missed the postseason in 2025 (NFC South division winner finished with same 8-9 record), some don’t feel like they’re equipped to improve upon that record in 2026.
Specifically, ESPN turned to a trio of their analysts — Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder to rank each NFL team’s roster ahead of the season, from 1-32. Falcons fans may be surprised to learn that their team ranked tied for 29th with the Arizona Cardinals, who had a 3-14 record last season. The Falcons came in one spot behind the Tennessee Titans, who also had a 3-14 record in 2025.
So, why did the Falcons draw such poor remarks? ESPN ranked each team’s projected starting lineup, and the analysts view the unsettled quarterback position as the Falcons’ biggest weakness.
“Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa are battling for the job. The eighth pick in 2024, Penix has yet to emerge as a capable starter, totaling 14 touchdown passes in 14 games while struggling with accuracy. He tore his left ACL in Week 11 last season and now has added competition in Tagovailoa. The former Dolphin has flashed at times during his career, but Miami took on a record $99 million in dead money to move on from him after a disappointing 2025 season”
ESPN’s Mike Clay on Falcons QBs
Ranking the Falcons 29th feels a bit harsh. It’s not like they are planning to roll into the season without a potential starting QB. Tagovailoa’s a former Pro Bowl talent who’s now getting a fresh start in a different offensive system. He could very well get back to his peak form under coach Stefanski. If not, the Falcons have another former first-round pick in Penix. It almost feels like a win-win situation. Yet, it’s fair for skeptics like Clay to have their concerns with both QBs coming off down seasons.
Still, the Falcons have one of, if not the NFL’s best running back in Bijan Robinson, which Clay deemed the team’s biggest strength. Clay believes that, in addition to having “one of the league’s top offensive playmakers” in Bijan, free agent signee Brian Robinson Jr. is “a solid backup.” Robinson had three consecutive 700+ yard seasons from 2022 with Washington before finishing with just 400 without starting a single game all season for the first time in his NFL career.
ESPN’s analysts also felt like fans should get to know edge rusher Samson Ebukam considering the pending situation with star pass-rusher James Pearce. While the Falcons rank the team’s QB position as their biggest weakness, it feels like their ranking considered a potential absence from Pearce too. Otherwise, this ranking feels a bit too low for a team that won eight games a season ago, but felt like their coach didn’t get enough out of the roster.
In essence, it’s ESPN saying that the Falcons either shouldn’t have fired Morris. Or that new team president Matt Ryan somehow made the roster a lot worse this offseason by adding more competition in the QB room. Or maybe he just didn’t do enough to improve the team, while many others around the NFL made moves that, on paper, make them look better than the Falcons’ roster currently does.
Related: NFL Quarterback Battles 2026: Predicting Winners of 5 Starting QB Competitions
