On paper, the Atlanta Falcons boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but have been unable to put it all together. Whether it be coaching or the roster itself, an eight-year playoff drought cannot happen, which is why the Falcons called upon Kevin Stefanski to help break that drought.
However, Atlanta is dealing with an entirely different issue entering Year 1 of the Stefanski era: they also have one of the oldest rosters in football. Ian Haritz dropped a tweet revealing the average roster age of every team in the NFL, and the Falcons were unsurprisingly near the bottom of the pack.
The Dirty Birds' average roster age of 26.35 ranked 27th in the NFL, as did their their 26,77 average age on offense. Meanwhile, their average age of 25.95 on defense ranked 13th in the NFL, so this is really just a problem that Stefanski and Ian Cunningham need to fix on the offensive side of the ball.
Kevin Stefanski needs to ensure this Atlanta Falcons' offense gets younger
In the two offseasons since hiring Jeff Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator, the Falcons made it a priority to get younger and more athletic on defense to fit Ulbrich's vision. However, the offense is still behind the 8-ball because of the mess Stefanski inherited from Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot.
Atlanta has no long-term franchise QB and three cornerstones on offense who are vying for second contracts. The only skill players of note who will be on rookie deals beyond 2026 are Bijan Robinson and third-round rookie Zachariah Branch--and Bijan is still nearing a market-resetting extension.
The quarterback room is one issue the two-time Coach of the Year has to tackle. Continuing to see things through with 25-year-old Michael Penix Jr. is understandable, as is signing 28-year-old Tua Tagovailoa for the vet minimum, but I'm not sure how I feel about the Falcons signing a 34-year-old QB3 in Trevor Siemian.
The Falcons' inflated average age on offense is in large part due to the offensive line. Jake Matthews (34), Storm Norton (31), and Corey Levin (31) are all on the wrong side of 30, while Chris Lindstrom is 29 and Jawaan Taylor and Ryan Neuzil are 28. Matthew Bergeron is the youngest starting OL at 26.
Stefanski brought in BIll Callahan to make Atlanta's offensive line more physical, but part of that is adding youth to the equation. Betting on Jack Nelson and Ethan Onianwa to become long-term starters is very risky, so drafting new franchise tackles in the near future must become a priority.
This isn't college football. Youth shines in the NFL. Ulbrich finally has all these high-upside tools at his disposal that has the future bright on defense, but the offense is still a work in progress. While the talent is undeniable, Stefanski and this new regime need the longevity to morph the Falcons' offense into long-term contenders to match what's being built on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
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