FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons News Now is your home base for everything happening in and around Flowery Branch, even when the games aren't on the schedule.
The offseason is where Sundays are built, and each week we bring you a clear-eyed look at how the Falcons are shaping the future: roster decisions, contract moves, draft buzz, coaching priorities and the players working to earn their next opportunity.
From front-office strategy and practice intel to emerging storylines and long-term vision, this isn't just a recap of headlines — it's context for what's coming next in Atlanta.
If it matters inside this building, it belongs here.
So if you eat, sleep, and breathe Falcons football, this is your inside edge all year long. Every move, every trend, every storyline, all in one place.
The News, Now
Key developments across the organization, from the front office to the coaching staff and everything in between
The Atlanta Falcons sent a rather large contingent of coaches, coordinators, scouts and front office personnel to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine this week in Indianapolis. It was a week that started off with two big pieces of news.
First, the Falcons officially placed the franchise tag on TE Kyle Pitts, with general manager Ian Cunningham saying on Radio Row that it is the "right move" for the organization "right now." Per the Cunningham, the franchise tag is a way to "use the mechanisms provided by the league" — especially considering Cunningham just got to Atlanta, having been hired on Jan. 29 — to allow the team time to fully evaluate what they want for the future of Pitts and the position in Atlanta and how it relates to their roster construction.
"We're not in the business of letting go really good players," Cunningham said on 92.9 The Game Tuesday morning.
Moments after breaking this news, Cunningham confirmed the Falcons also plan to release QB Kirk Cousins with a post-June 1 designation when the new league year begins on March 11. Cunningham said he has already informed Cousins and his representation of the decision "out of respect" to all parties involved.
Both Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke on these decisions throughout their media rounds at the combine Tuesday. Tori McElhaney recapped Cunningham's media availabilities, highlighting his thought process on making these decisions while Will McFadden noted Cunningham's affinity for draft picks and how he hopes to accumulate more come the 2026 NFL Draft weekend.
"I said with our scouting staff last week, this is going to be the last year that we ever have five picks," Cunningham said. "Like I've said before, I love picks. That's going to be a part of our philosophy, and we're going to have as many swings at the plate that we can."
Stefanski also made his media rounds, too, discussing the marrying of staff philosophies as well as his continued evaluation of the roster as a whole.
"I feel good about where we are," Stefanski said. "I know there's 32 teams and everybody feels they could use a few more guys at a bunch of different spots, but I feel good about the guys we have. I feel really good about the plan that Ian has in place. And then, I feel really good about when I finally get my hands on these guys and we can coach them."
Meanwhile, even though Matt Ryan did not speak to the media throughout the week, his presence as a top decision maker for Atlanta was still felt in a major way. Sitting in on the team's formal interviews with prospects, Stefanski shared some insight into how Ryan conducts himself in a room he once entered as a prospect himself. Now, he's leading the charge of those interviews and conversations to help direct and align Atlanta.
Tori McElhaney took readers inside the room with a couple anecdotes from Stefanski, detailing how Ryan as gone from a young quarterback prospect in 2008 to a team architect as the president of football in 2026.
Fan Zone Highlights
Tweets, videos and podcasts you may have missed
A major source of content from the combine came out of AtlantaFalcons.com's spot on Radio Row, where Tori McElhaney and Will McFadden sat down with media from all over the country to discuss — at length — all things Falcons through this offseason.
You can check out all of those interviews below.
In the Nest
Behind-the-scenes stories, locker room insight into team culture
The Falcons have named Michael Bearden the organization's Ollie Wilson Coaching Fellow for the 2026 season. This fellowship is named after Wilson, who served as the Falcons' running backs coach during two separate stints (1991–96 and 2002–07). In his first tenure, he coached three 1,000-yard rushers — Erric Pegram (1993), Craig Heyward and Jamal Anderson (1996). During his second stint, he helped Warrick Dunn produce three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2004–06.
Perhaps most notably, Wilson — like Bearden — began his coaching career in the league's Minority Coaching Fellowship, working under Jerry Glanville with the Houston Oilers and later with the Falcons from 1988–90.
He was the right person to represent, in name, what makes these programs as meaningful as they are necessary.
"As a league, it is very obvious to me that we can do better having Black coaches in leadership positions," Stefanski said. "Having the ability in my chair to develop young, Black coaches on the offensive side of the ball is important if you want to affect change, which we do here at the Falcons."
This is a program Stefanski cares deeply about, having seen so many young coaches get the foot in the door they need to not only be in this league, but grow in it. That's the hope for what a fellowship like this does for a young coach like Bearden.
"In any line of work, we are the product of our experiences," Stefanski concluded. "With young coaches, the more we can expose our coaches to all, the better they will be on the other end.
"Being with Tommy Rees on a daily basis, working with Kevin Koger, listening to how Bill Callahan coaches the offensive line, all of these add up to our coaches — in this case, Mike — finding his own voice as a coach. I think our job is to help our coaches develop, be intentional about their development, but when you have somebody like Mike who wants it, and wants to take all of this in and is someone with a very strong growth mindset, you have a chance in a given calendar year to grow exponentially."
Offseason Intel
Upcoming important dates and information
Though the chunk of media availabilities with coaches and front office personnel wrapped up earlier this week, the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine continues to roll on with on-field workouts throughout the weekend. You can find all of the information on where to watch here.
Meanwhile, the offseason rolls on, with free agency kicking off very soon with the early negotiation period beginning at 12 p.m. ET on March 9, and ending 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.
We'll keep you up to date on all the free agency happenings as they happen here on AtlantaFalcons.com.
