Atlanta Falcons 2025 Profile

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Raheem Morris
Offensive Coordinator: Zac Robinson
Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Ulbrich
Special Teams Coordinator: Marquice Williams

2024 Summary (W-L Record: 8-9)

Last season was bittersweet for the Falcons. They had the division title and a playoff spot in the palm of their hand, only for a late-season collapse to keep them on the outside looking in. But they also got an answer to the question of whether or not they made the right decision by drafting Michael Penix to be their quarterback of the future.

Here’s a look at their 2024 numbers:

Prior to Penix taking over the starting job, the Falcons started the season 6-3 and appeared to be on their way to January football. Ultimately, Kirk Cousins just couldn’t maintain the level of play he showcased through the first 9 games. A big reason for that was an injury he sustained to his throwing arm against the Saints in Week 10.

Between the damaged wing and the fact that he had not entirely recovered the strength in his leg after rupturing his Achilles a year earlier, Cousins was ineffective after that Saints game. The physical limitations bled into his decision-making, and he went through a 4-game stretch where he threw no touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

You just can’t win with your quarterback performing that way, and unsurprisingly, they didn’t. They lost all 4 of those games as well as their hold on the division.

It didn’t help that the defense wasn’t good enough to withstand the shaky quarterback play. That was primarily because the Falcons honored what has become a yearly tradition in Atlanta of not being able to get to the quarterback.

They were awful on 3rd down and in the red zone as a result. And opposing QBs played to a 100.2 passer rating against them, good for the 4th highest in the league.

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The Falcons lost 2 of their final 3 games, but it was during this stretch that they were able to glimpse into their future. Michael Penix got to start and instantly looked like he belonged.

As I mentioned in my breakdown of his 2024 season, he made more big-time throws in his 3 starts than Caleb Williams and Drake Maye did in their 17 and 12 starts respectively.

You can check out that breakdown below:

Overall, there wasn’t much to complain about with the way Penix performed last season. It really was some of the most impressive quarterback play I’ve seen from a rookie in recent years.

Key Additions

DT Morgan Fox
EDGE Leonard Floyd
EDGE Jalon Walker (1st Rd, 15th Overall)
EDGE James Pearce, Jr. (1st Rd, 26th Overall)
LB Divine Deablo
S Jordan Fuller
S Xavier Watts (3rd Rd, 96th Overall)
S Billy Bowman, Jr. (4th Rd, 118th Overall)

Key Losses

C Drew Dalman
DT Grady Jarrett
DT Eddie Goldman
EDGE Matthew Judon
EDGE Lorenzo Carter
EDGE James Smith-Williams
LB Nathan Landman
S Justin Simmons

Did They Address Their Holes?

For a defense that didn’t bring more than four very often and played one of the highest frequencies of zone coverage in the league, a good pass rush was essential. The Falcons didn’t have one last year, and that was a major contributor to finishing with the 3rd-worst EPA in zone coverage.

This is what they needed to address above all else this offseason, and they did. The Falcons drafted linebacker Jalon Walker out of Georgia with the 15th overall pick and plan to use him as an edge rusher. They also traded next year’s first round pick (plus change) to take James Pearce out of Tennessee 26th overall.

Some say they gave up too much for Pearce, but it all depends on how well he plays (obviously). No one will care if he ends up being a stud, similar to how discussions have died down around the Falcons’ decision to draft Penix 8th overall in 2024.

Atlanta also brought in Leonard Floyd as an edge rusher, both to provide depth and a veteran presence.

Regardless of how they do it, they really need that pass rush to be a much bigger factor this year. New defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich should be able to help in that effort. As the Jets DC in 2022 and 2023, his defenses finished in the top 10 in sacks and pressure percentage. Last year, they were 11th in both.

When he was able to just focus on being a defensive coordinator, he was very effective in New York, which should get Falcons fans excited.

Biggest Questions Entering 2025

The above section kind of addresses the biggest question with the Falcons. Can the defense be better? It has to be if Atlanta is going to be a serious contender.

The more important and existential question for the Falcons is about the quarterback position. Can Michael Penix do what he did in limited action last year on a consistent basis? Can he put it together for a full season? Can he be the guy for the next 10 years?

I have little doubt that he’ll be able to, because the high-level quarterback traits needed to succeed in the NFL have been on display regularly in just about every game I’ve watched Penix play over the last two years (college and the pros).

The Falcons obviously feel good about their offense, from their O-line, to their skill players, to their quarterback, because they didn’t make any moves on this side of the ball during the offseason. I can’t say I disagree.

Drake London is emerging as one of the better receivers in the league. And running back Bijan Robinson is already up there as one of the best in the game considering he has tremendous ability as both a ball carrier and a receiver. Even Saquon Barkley had high praise for him, saying “There's nobody who's able to cut like Bijan in the NFL.”

The biggest question I have with this offense is more tactical about how the Falcons will attack this year. Last season, they used the lowest frequency of play-action in the league. Was that the result of Cousins not being able to move as well? Or is that more of a Zac Robinson thing?

2024 was Robinson’s first year as an offensive coordinator, so we don’t have much to go on. He comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree and had been with him since 2019. He saw McVay evolve from the king of play-action into a play-caller who started to shy away from it in recent seasons (McVay went back to heavy play-action usage last year after Robinson was gone).

So what will we see out of the Falcons this year? Given the presence of Bijan Robinson as well as Penix’s ability to attack at the intermediate levels, you would think play action would be a major part of the game plan.

Maybe it will be.

2025 Outlook

I’m bullish on the Falcons in general, primarily because of their quarterback. I know 3 games isn’t a lot, and defenses have had all offseason to prepare for him, but the traits he possesses don’t scream “flash in the pan.”

I also think the defense takes a step forward this year under Ulbrich. They have a good back end with players like A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates. If Ulbrich can get that pass rush to improve, they can make a big jump as a defenses and a team.

As things stand right now, they’re my pick to win the NFC South.

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