It always means a lot when the Atlanta Falcons are able to beat the New Orleans Saints. That's what happens when you're one of the biggest rivalries in football. But there's not a single player on the team the 45-24 blowout win meant more for than rookie linebacker Harold Perkins Jr.
Perkins is a New Orleans native and was just a couple of months old when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. After climbing two houses to stay in his neighbot's hallway, his family later took refuge in the Superdome before being forced to relocate to Cypress, Texas because of the storm, where he spent the rest of his primitive years. And while he originally committed to Texas A&M, he de-committed and chose LSU because he wanted to return home.
The 20-year tribute of the "Domecoming" post-Hurricane Katrina was the defining storyline entering this game. We saw the way it rocked this city and how they rebuilt, together. Perkins was a part of that. And last night, he returned to the Superdome for the first time as an NFL player and shined.
Perk totaled a career-high eight tackles, a half-sack, two pass breakups, and a QB hit. For a Lousiana native who this game meant so much to, that's one way to make an impression in a homecoming. He was outstanding in coverage and his performance in a familiar place caught Kevin Stefanski's eye.
"I thought Perk was outstanding," Stefanski said while addressing the media postgame. "Really excited for Perk coming home. He had a great homecoming."
Every single week, Harold Perkins Jr.'s stock is climbing, and it's become clear Atlanta found one of the biggest steals of the 2026 Draft. At this point, Atlanta DC Jeff Ulbrich has no choice but to keep increasing his responsibilities.
Falcons rookie Harold Perkins Jr. was great in his return to New Orleans
For the second straight game, Perkins ran with the 1s and played considerably more than fellow rookie Kendal Daniels and is out-snapping him through four weeks, His 52 snaps in Week 4 marked a career high, and only C.J. Henderson recorded more tackles than the sixth-round linebacker.
And while he had some nice tackles (and shared a sack of Tyler Shough with Xavier Watts), Harold Perkins Jr., was best in coverage. There was one particular rep where the 22-year-old was matched up with Juwan Johnson and made a beautiful PBU to prevent what likely would've been a first down.
There's something about former LSU linebackers getting drafted by the Falcons and dominating the Saints. First it was Deion Jones. Now it's No. 56. It just warms your heart to see emotional stories in this business, and a guy like Perk has worked hard for his shot after being selected 215th overall.
As soon as he was drafted by the Falcons, Perkins made it clear that though he grew up a Saints fan, that fandom was now over. But that didn't make his return to his hometown any less emotional, especially on a night meant to celebrate a city that rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina.
It goes to show you that it is always bigger than football. For everything this game meant to the city of New Orleans, it meant just as much to a former resident in Harold Perkins Jr., who left all of that emotion out on the field.
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