Under a new regime, the Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of a major offseason overhaul. Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski are now calling the shots, and they have a bit of a mess on their hands after the Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot fiasco, which desperately needs to be cleaned up.
The Falcons are looking to break their playoff drought that's existed since president of football Matt Ryan was leading this team on the field, but breaking it won't be a major uphill battle. This roster is pretty talented and the NFC South is wide open, but they still have some work to do this offseason.
The Dirty Birds have some key players set to hit free agency, most of whom should be priorities for the new front office to keep, but they also have guys who are as good as gone. It's all about trusting Cunningham to keeping the right guys, and he should cut bait with these three players.
Ian Cunningham needs to avoid bringing these players back to Atlanta in 2026
QB Kirk Cousins
It only feels fitting to kick this list off with the guy we already know won't be back next season-- and this isn't a knock on Kirk Cousins. Kevin Stefanski rightfully seems to believe in Michael Penix Jr. to take a leap in Year 3, which has Cousins on the outside looking in since he won't see the field ever.
Financially, it makes no sense for Cunningham to keep Cousins around . They deferred most of his 2026 salary to 2027 and if they cut him this offseason, they avoid paying that guarantee. And if he wants to chase another starting job, finishing the divorce with the Falcons is the best way to land a better opportunity.
WRs Darnell Mooney and David Sills V
I planned on dedicating this spot solely to Mooney, but if Cousins is gone, David Sills V should be too. Sills was Kirk's favorite target down the stretch with Drake London hurt and was relatively productive, but has no business playing meaningful snaps for a team expecting to be competitive in 2026.
Mooney's contract is hefty and comes with an out this offseason, but the 28-year-old is also on an expiring deal, so there's not much incentive to cut him. He was so unproductive in large part because Morris downplayed the extent of the injuries he was playing through, which isn't his fault, honestly.
The receiver room as a whole needs to be seriously revamped, because behind London, this depth chart has left a lot to be desired. Casey Washington deserves another shot, but the rest of these practice squad-caliber guys need to go and Atlanta needs to address the position in the NFL Draft.
EDGE Arnold Ebiketie
As much as it pains me to say this, Arnold Ebikete has gotta go. There's not much of a place for him in the starting lineup now that Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. broke out, and he'll be more expensive for the Falcons can retain than Leonard Floyd because he's significantly younger.
Given his lack of consistent production, the Penn State product would benefit from a scenery change. I think a reunion with Morris in San Francisco would serve him well, but keeping Ebiketie over someone like Kaden Elliss or David Onyemata would be a huge mistake for Cunningham.