The Atlanta Falcons have again made some bold changes, this time overhauling the coaching staff, front office, and adding another potential solution at quarterback. In the 2025 NFL Season, the Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all finished 8-9 with a 3-3 record in the division.
Even the New Orleans Saints finished 3-3 in the division. While the NFC South was a mediocre group overall, it could not have been a more competitive division. Fortunately, while things do not seem all that stable with the Falcons, they have as good a chance as any of the other three teams at winning the division in 2026.
But as good of a chance as they have to win it, the equal chance remains that they finish last, creating quite the possibilities for 2026.
Atlanta Falcons dubbed one of the most interesting teams in the league for 2026
Brad Gagnon talked about why the Falcons are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this year, and he made a lot of great points:
"Here we have another potentially awesome quarterback battle between a former Pro Bowler in a new setting (Tua Tagovailoa) and a third-year first-round pick who has yet to deliver on expectations (Michael Penix Jr.).
Once again, whoever quarterbacks this team will have a superb group of weapons and a stellar offensive line. The Falcons also have some appealing young talent on defense, and the entire operation will be overseen by high-profile offseason head coach addition Kevin Stefanski.
Considering the NFC South is expected to be wide open again, the space between the floor and the ceiling is massive in Atlanta. And that makes this team especially intriguing entering training camp".
The Falcons sporting the best roster in the division save the quarterback spot is not at all a stretch. The offense is flat-out loaded with Pro Bowl-caliber talent and a solid offensive line. The defense finished a modest 19th in points allowed in 2025,
Atlanta also finished second in the NFL in sacks last year with 57, only trailing the Denver Broncos. This is a legitimate football team now sporting a two-time Coach of the Year in Kevin Stefanski, but the quarterback unknowns have this group firmly in that tier.
But the funny thing here is that Tua Tagovailoa, who is in a quarterback 'competition' with Michael Penix Jr., is a winning quarterback with very solid production to go along with it. In his six years in the NFL, Tagovailoa finished with a winning record in five years, and has a 44-32 overall record, which averages out to a 10-7 record over a 17-game season.
From 2022-2024, Tagovailoa went 25-16 s a starter and threw 73 touchdowns against 29 interceptions, which was good for a stellar 102.5 passer rating. This three-year stretch averaged out to a 10-7 record and a 30-touchdown, 12-interception performance over a full 17-game average.
It is a bit if, but there is a non-zero chance that Tagovailoa can get back to that production in 2026 with the Falcons. He led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 and then led the league in completion percentage in 2024.
He's also never played in as talented a personnel situation on offense as he likely will in 2026 with the Falcons. However, the flip side here is that if Tagovailoa is playing like his 2025 self, the Falcons are, for lack of a better term, cooked. He tossed 15 interceptions in 14 games, went 6-8 as a starter, and had an 88.5 passer rating, averaging less than 200 passing yards per game.
The other flip side here is if Penix somehow wins the starting job, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but his lack of proven NFL production could actually hurt the Falcons throughout the season.
It's not hard to see why Atlanta could be the most interesting team in the NFL this year. If Tagovailoa wins the starting job and can turn back the clock a couple of seasons, the team will win double-digit games and capture the NFC South title.
But if that doesn't happen, another losing season is on the table.
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