Through all of the big-name free agents that Ian Cunningham and the Atlanta Falcons have had to deal with trying to retain, one name has flown heavily under the radar: LaCale London. Through all of the issues Atlanta had stopping the run, London was great, especially after Zach Harrison got hurt.
While Drake London is the London drawing the attention surrounding his future with the Falcons, LaCale deserves to stick around too. Capitalizing on an expanded role, he had a breakout year in 2026 which saw him log five sacks and seven tackles for loss in just five starts and 13 appearances.
The 28-year-old was a late bloomer, but that shouldn't stop the Dirty Birds from doing what they need to do this offseason. As restricted free agent tenders come out across the next week-and-a-half, Cunningham will be forced to decide on if he wants to use one on London, and there's a right answer.
The Falcons need to use an RFA tender on LaCale London before it's too late
Oftentimes, RFA tenders are not used on players who are designed to be game-changers. That's what the franchise tag is for. This is meant for lesser-known breakout players like London who are still young, which will also provide them with more cost-control in keeping him instead of an extension.
A pending free agent needs to have played three NFL seasons to be eligible for a restricted free agent tender, which London fits since 2025 was the third season of his career in which he appeared in a regular season game. This means he can sign elsewhere, but the Falcons maintain the right to match any contract or receive draft compensation if he leaves depending on which tender is used.
There's the first-round tender, the second-round tender, and the right of first refusal, and if Atlanta uses the latter on their budding star DT, they'd only be paying him $3.52 million in 2026 according to Over the Cap.
Given that Atlanta is likely to lose David Onyemata in free agency and they need more than the young trio of Zach Harrison, Brandon Dorlus, and Ruke Orhorhoro at DT. They will likely draft someone to help stuff the run, but given how London thrived when thrust into a larger role, he is worth keeping.
Jeff Ulbrich's defense is likely going to deal enough turnover in free agency due to their limited cap space, so if they can keep the Western Illinois product at an affordable price, it would quietly be one of the best decisions Cunningham makes all offseason, even if it isnt flashy like tagging Kyle Pitts.