Disclaimer: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not of the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The 2026 free agency period has begun. The moves made in the coming weeks will alter the NFL landscape and provide teams the opportunity to improve their future outlook.
This article is meant to serve as your go-to resource for all Falcons free agency moves and updates. Our editorial staff will update the tracker with reports and official announcements regarding any signings, extensions or other notable events involving Atlanta. We will also keep tabs on where former Falcons end up signing.
This year, the editorial team will be independently aggregating reports from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, as well as ESPN's Adam Schefter. They will do so during the "two-day negotiating period," which begins at 12 p.m. ET on March 9, and ends at 4 p.m. ET on March 11.
Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2025 player contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 12. Once the new league year begins at that time, the editorial team will only include official team news in the tracker.
Bookmark this page to stay up to date on everything you need to know about the Falcons in free agency.
LATEST REPORTS
Monday, March 9
- According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Atlanta Falcons plan to sign wide receiver Jahan Dotson. The 25-year-old is a former first-round draft pick, selected by the Washington Commanders 16th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He started 26 games for the Commanders before getting traded to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 offseason. In four seasons, Dotson has played in 63 games with 42 starts. He has 121 catches for 1,519 yards and 12 touchdowns during that time.
- According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, the Atlanta Falcons plan to sign kicker Nick Folk. The 41-year-old veteran has played in the NFL for 18 seasons and has scored the 16th-most points in league history. Folk was most recently with the New York Jets in 2025 and made 96.6% of his field goal attempts, which was the best rate in the NFL. The former sixth-round draft pick has converted 85 percent of his field goal attempts and 96.9% of his extra-point attempts. The Falcons started three different kickers during the 2025 season.
- According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Atlanta Falcons plan to sign punter Jake Bailey. An All-Pro player in 2020 for the New England Patriots, Bailey has played seven seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and spent four years in New England before signing with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent in 2023. In three seasons with the Dolphins, Bailey averaged 46.9 yards per punt.
- According to NFL Network Lead Insider Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons plan to sign free agent tight end Austin Hooper. The Falcons drafted Hooper in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he became a key part of the offense during his four seasons with the team. Hooper played in 59 games for Atlanta with 28 starts. He caught 214 passes for 2,244 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a rookie, Hooper caught a touchdown pass in the 2017 Super Bowl against New England. Hooper also previously played for Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski as a member of the Cleveland Browns during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He caught 84 passes for 780 yards and seven touchdowns with the Browns.
- According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, the Atlanta Falcons plan to sign wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. It's a reunion for the two parties as Zaccheaus spent the first four years of his career in Atlanta after joining the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The first catch Zaccheaus had in the NFL resulted in a 93-yard score, which was the longest touchdown pass of Matt Ryan's career.
