The Atlanta Falcons are entering a season where they could have a vast range of outcomes, especially in regards to their finish in the NFC South. The division is widely considered the NFL's most wide open, and it's anyone's guess who will represent the NFC South in the playoffs come January.
Last season, the division title came down to a three-way tie between the Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Panthers won the division due to a tiebreaker. So with a betterhead coach-QB duo in Kevin Stefanski and Tua Tagovailoa coming to town, they can surprise people and end the playoff drought, but they'll face resistance across the NFC South in 2026.
The Bucs have won the NFC South in four of the last five years and are as talented as ever. The Saints are entering Year 2 with Kellen Moore and Tyler Shough and their ascending offense has turned them into a popular dark horse for the division title--but neither of them are the Falcons' biggest threat.
Falcons fans should be most worried about the Panthers in the NFC South
The Panthers won the NFC South last year, but for some reason, not many people are talking about them as a team that has a chance to repeat in 2026, which I can only imagine is Bryce Young's fault. But even with average QB play, they improved in many of the areas that plagued them last season.
The Panthers spend heavily on the defensive side of the football this offseason, signing two of the best defensive free agents in edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. And given how awful their defensive front was, both of these Pro Bowl-caliber players will make an instant impact.
They may have overpaid Phillips, but it doesn't matter: a need is a need. And they drafted another Day 1 starter on defense in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Texas Tech nose tackle Lee Hunter. They're younger, more talented, and more athletic on defense, and that's a scary sight for a team that has pieces in the secondary.
And on offense, Dave Canales is a fantastic young coach who has done better than expected despite not having a ton to work with on offense. The Panthers came a possession away from upsetting the Rams in the Wild Card Round, so while he's not elite, Young has risen to the occasion in clutch time.
The weapons are pretty solid. You have reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, who is due for another big season, newly-paid breakout star Jalen Coker, and the Panthers used a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Tennessee deep threat Chris Brazzell III, so Young has more help.
Here's the issue Carolina will face. They'll play a first-place schedule, meaning that the Seahawks, Bears, and Eagles are on the docket compared to the 49ers, Commanders, and Lions the Dirty Birds will face.
The Panthers may not be flashy as the Saints or Bucs, but Baker is saddled with Zac Robinson and Shough is nothing special. Meanwhile the Panthers improved across the board, so they have a chance to prove Falcons fans wrong and repeat as division champions for the first time since 2014 and 2015.
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