The Atlanta Falcons have re-signed DeAngelo Malone, a linebacker/edge tweener who has played under multiple schemes for the Falcons. He's a depth and special teams piece who has earned his mettle more on special teams than on defense. Malone was injured at the end of the 2025 season, which likely lowered his value.
The former Western Kentucky Hilltopper was originally selected with the third-round draft pick that Matt Ryan was traded for before the 2022 season. The official Falcons website declared the signing official with Will McFadden on the reporting:
OFFICIAL: The Atlanta Falcons have re-signed outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone. He has been a core special teams player and made some splash plays on defense since joining the Falcons as a third-round pick in 2022. https://t.co/Z5Q05b2S59
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) April 1, 2026
Even though the 26-year-old visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers late last week, giving him one last shot to prove himself was a priority for this new regime. And since he provides value on special teams, he's worth keeping around on a low-stakes deal despite his clear lack of production.
The Atlanta Falcons are re-signing edge rusher DeAngelo Malone
During his four years in Atlanta, Malone's most memorable moment was when he got called for an illegal contact penalty at the end of a game against the Commanders at the end of the 2024 season. However, he did provide three sacks, 59 tackles, one interception and five quarterback hits during his first stretch in Atlanta. His best contribution came from what he provided on special teams as he played over 1,100 snaps in the third phase of the game.
As far as contract is concerned, an underproductive third-round pick normally doesn't go for much on the open market. Malone likely isn't any different. He was likely re-signed near the veteran minimum, but at most, he re-signed for around $2.5 million for a single season. The Falcons are smart to bring him back because cost-effective depth and special teams is always worth that kind of money as it's less than 1% of the total cap.
On defense, Malone will be competing with Azeez Ojulari, Samson Ebukam, Cameron Thomas and Bralen Trice for playing time if they decide to have him on the edge. If they decide to use him at linebacker, he could be a sneaky fit for the starting role in Kaden Elliss' old role.
He'd be competing with Troy Andersen, Christian Harris, Channing Tindall and J.D. Bertrand there. The Falcons have options for Malone, and a signing like this just made sense for the team.