Now that the Atlanta Falcons lost Tyler Allgeier to the Arizona Cardinals, one of the biggest holes they have to fill is at RB2. Allgeier presented the Falcons with the perfect change-of-pace back behind Bijan Robinson, and with how much Kevin Stefanski loves the run game, replacing him is imperative.
And if the Falcons' free agent moves to date are any indication, that player will likely have past ties to their new regime. Atlanta has made moves for 11 players in free agency, six of them come with ties to their new regime in some capacity, including two players who have played for Stefanski before.
Falcons' free agent class to date:
- Olamide Zaccheus (Ian Cunningham)
- Austin Hooper (Kevin Stefanski)
- Jahan Dotson
- Cameron Thomas (Kevin Stefanski)
- Nick Folk (Craig Aukernan)
- Jake Bailey (Craig Aukerman)
- Christian Harris
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Channing Tindall
- Corey Levin (Bill Callahan)
- Azeez Ojulari
I don't know about you, but I see a pattern brewing. Stefanski and this staff wants to bring in players they are familiar with. And if this pattern continues, it means that a former Stefanski running back could make sense to replace Allgeier in Atlanta in former Cleveland Browns' superstar Nick Chubb.
Frequent Kevin Stefanski collaborator Nick Chubb is looking like the runaway favorite to replace Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta
Chubb is not the All-Pro or superstar he was in Cleveland, especially after that gruesome knee injury he suffered in 2023, but he proved in 2024 and 2025 that he still has some good football left in the tank. And at the very least, he could be the short-yardage back utilized to spell Bijan for the Falcons.
Not only has the four-time Pro Bowler spent the majority of his career thriving in Stefanski's offense with the Browns, he's also a Georgia native. Chubb played his college football at Georgia before Cleveland drafted him in 2018, so a homecoming (and Stefanski reunion) could be intriguing to him.
While he likely knows the system his former head coach employs like the back of his hand, there is still some risk involved in such a move. The issue with signing Chubb is that he's on the wrong side of 30 and that serious knee injury in 2023 rid him of his explosiveness, leading to far less production.
Even still, Chubb is still a physical, downhill runner who teams should have some interest in, especially assuming his price tag is cheap. He isn't much of a pass-catcher either, so if the Falcons are going to search for a replacement for an Allgeier, they should pivot to a younger, more versatile alternative.
It may not be glamorous, but if Stefanski and Cunningham's pattern persists, expect Chubb to make a return to the Peach State unless he instead chooses Jerome Ford.