The Atlanta Falcons are finding new ways to break their fans' hearts, as their 8-9 record tied for the division lead, yet they've been eliminated from playoff contention for a month. A four-game win streak to end the season gave fans enough hope, but the Falcons should have won the NFC South this year.
They got better as the season progressed, but losing seven of eight in the middle of the season did this team in. They had no excuse to lose to the Jets or get swept by the Panthers, and the elimination from playoff contention saw Arthur Blank finally opt to fire Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot.
Kyle Pitts and Kaden Elliss may be the headliners, but the Dirty Birds have a staggering number of key players set to hit free agency. However, their questionable financial situation means it's impossible to retain everyone, meaning that these six players are likely to fall victim to a roster overhaul in Atlanta.
These 6 Falcons' players most likely played their final down in Atlanta
Kirk Cousins, QB
Kicking this list off with the most obvious player on this list in Kirk Cousins. That signing was a total bust, and it was clear he was never going to be the long-term answer after the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. 43 days after signing Cousins to a four-year $180 million contract back in 2024.
Since Penix went down with a torn ACL, the 37-year-old has impressed while stepping in as the starter, especially since the Falcons went 5-2 down the stretch, but it's not enough. He's too expensive to retain as a backup, especially since he will be 38 once Week 1 of 2026 rolls around.
The four-time Pro Bowler's contract comes with an out after the season which would prevent the team from paying him $57.5 million in both 2026 and 2027, which is a no-brainer, especially if he's a post-June 1 release.
Darnell Mooney, WR
The Darnell Mooney contract reaped benefits this time last season, but 2025 was a massive step in the wrong direction. Just two seasons into a three-year $39 million deal, the Falcons know they messed up, because the 28-year-old looked borderline unplayable for the majority of the year.
Mooney came up just short of 1,000 receiving yards last season, but his numbers were basically cut in half in 2025. He barely surpassed 450 receiving yards, which aren't the numbers of a receiver worth $13 million per season, and like Cousins, his contract comes with an out this coming offseason.
This has felt inevitable all season long because the Tulane product has an $18.5 million cap hit if retained into next season, yet Atlanta can replace him with someone far more productive early in the 2026 NFL Draft after he failed to help stabilize a horrible receiver room throughout the season.
Tyler Allgeier, RB
When you have a running back like Bijan Robinson in your backfield, he's understandably going to grab most of the headlines. And it's the presence of a 23-year-old on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory that has Tyler Allgeier looking like the odd man in out in Atlanta's running back room.
There are many teams in the NFL where the 2022 fifth-round pick out of BYU could be the lead back, but Bijan will always (rightfully) receive the lion's share of the touches at running back. This is an instance where he's too talented to be a part of a committee when he can start on another team.
He will hit free agency this offseason and most likely leave, but he's a player that most Falcons fans should root for to succeed with an expanded role.
Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE
The Falcons will see both Arnold Ebiketie and Leonard Floyd become free agents, but Floyd seems more likely to remain in Atlanta for another season as a Georgia native. It's been a strange career arc for the 2022 second-round pick, who never gave the return on investment of being a high Day 2 pick.
The 26-year-old logged exactly six sacks in each of the last two seasons, but his sack numbers were slashed this season. However, that was because Ebiketie played less snaps this season than usual which mainly due to a logjam at EDGE because of the additions of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
Ebiketie is an objectively talented football player, but he's now on the outside looking in for one of the league's best pass-rushing attacks. Perhaps a change in scenery can help him return to form.
Troy Andersen, LB
If we're discussing the most interesting Falcons' free agent, Troy Andersen fits the billing. When he's on the field, he's shown glimpses of superstardom, but that never happens. The second-round linebacker has missed all of 2025 and most of 2024 due to injury woes that have yet to go away.
The Wyoming product is only 26 years old, but he has no future in Atlanta. He's one of Terry Fontenot's biggest draft misses, and since the Falcons have both Elliss (if he is re-signed) and Divine Deablo as their main linebackers, there's no place for Andersen to revive his career as a starter.
Like Ebiketie, a change in scenery can help him, but in his case, it could be the only way his playing future extends.
Elijah Wilkinson, OT
As much as Falcons' fans have grown to love Elijah Wilkinson this season, he's on the chopping block. He was thrust into the starting lineup after both Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton went down in training camp, and he's had a very impressive season despite the circumstances of his rise.
After years of being a journeyman tackle, the 30-year-old has proven he can be a viable starter for an offensive line in need of stability. And that means he could cash in on a solid season in Atlanta and pursue a starting job elsewhere since the right tackle job is always McGary's as long as he is healthy.