The Atlanta Falcons enter the 2026 season with a new head coach, a new general manager and plenty of questions about whether this roster can finally take the next step.
Tua Tagovailoa, Jawaan Taylor and Gervon Dexter Sr. all have something to prove in 2026, although for very different reasons.
Tua Tagovailoa officially won the Falcons' quarterback competition for Week 1. You can’t help but feel like he only won because Michael Penix Jr. isn’t fully healthy though.
So he needs to make the most of it.
Jawaan Taylor and Gervon Dexter have new jobs to justify
Jawaan Taylor has a pretty important season ahead of him cause the Atlanta Falcons are counting on him to stabilize the right tackle position after Kaleb McGary’s retirement.
Atlanta's offensive line already has a lot of established players such as Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom - If Taylor can give the Falcons consistent play on the right side, the O-line could become one of the brightest spots on the roster.
If he struggles, however, the Falcons could find themselves revisiting the position sooner than they'd like.
Even further, he’s on a one year deal. So a good season could earn him a payday either in Atlanta or elsewhere.
Then there is Gervon Dexter, who Atlanta just traded cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth round pick to Chicago to get.
Dexter has 13.5 sacks through his first three NFL seasons, including 11 over the past two years - Atlanta is bringing him into a defensive line that underwent a lot of changes this offseason, and the Falcons need more disruption from the interior.
If he carries his recent pass rushing production into Atlanta, the trade could look like a smart move for Cunningham very quickly. If he disappears for stretches, the Falcons will have given up a young corner and a future draft pick for a player who didn't solve the problem they acquired him to fix.
And much like Taylor, Dexter is also entering a contract year. That makes this a pretty simple season for Dexter. Go prove the Falcons were right to trade for you.
All three players have different circumstances, but the pressure is similar. Tagovailoa needs to prove he belongs in the starting conversation. Taylor needs to prove Atlanta can trust him at right tackle. Dexter needs to prove he was worth the price of admission.
The Falcons have made plenty of changes around them. Now those players have to make those changes work.
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