he Atlanta Falcons enter the 2026 season with a new head coach, a recovering young quarterback, one of football’s most explosive running backs and a defense suddenly missing two of its most promising pass rushers.
There is enough talent on this roster to believe Atlanta can contend in the NFC South. There are also enough unanswered questions to understand why Falcons fans might be cautious.
Atlanta finished 8-9 and third in the division last season. Now, with Kevin Stefanski taking over as head coach, the Falcons are attempting to turn potential into something the franchise has not experienced since 2017: a playoff appearance.
Before Atlanta opens its regular season at Pittsburgh on September 13, here are the five biggest questions facing the 2026 Falcons.
1. Will Michael Penix Jr. be healthy and ready for Week 1?
Everything starts with Michael Penix Jr.
Penix recently returned to full-team practice after recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season. He has received clearance to participate in 11-on-11 work, but the Falcons are wisely taking a cautious approach. Penix will not play in the preseason finale against Miami after participating in only three full practices.
Despite the limited practice time, Penix has said he remains confident that he will be ready for the regular-season opener.
Atlanta’s situation is much different from a typical quarterback competition. The Falcons did not simply bring in a journeyman to hold the clipboard. They added Tua Tagovailoa, an experienced quarterback who has been sharing first-team practice repetitions with Penix.
Tagovailoa gives the Falcons legitimate insurance if Penix is not ready. He also gives Stefanski an important decision to make. Does Atlanta immediately return the offense to Penix, or does the team allow Tagovailoa to start until Penix has regained his timing and confidence?
Penix represents the future, but Atlanta cannot afford to rush him back solely because Week 1 has arrived. The Falcons need to determine whether he is merely medically cleared or genuinely prepared to lead the offense against the Steelers.
How Stefanski manages this situation could shape the entire season.
2. Can Kevin Stefanski build an offense around Bijan Robinson?
Bijan Robinson is not simply Atlanta’s best offensive player. He is one of the most productive players in the NFL.
Robinson finished the 2025 season with a franchise-record 2,298 yards from scrimmage, leading the league in that category. He accounted for more than 40 percent of Atlanta’s total yards from scrimmage and touched the ball on approximately one-third of the Falcons’ offensive plays.
Those numbers demonstrate Robinson’s value, but they also raise an important question: Can Atlanta continue leaning so heavily on him without becoming predictable or wearing him down?
Stefanski’s offense should be an excellent match for Robinson’s skill set. His system traditionally incorporates wide-zone runs, play-action passes and opportunities for running backs to create in space. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is also introducing more gap and power concepts, along with an expanded screen game.
The goal should not necessarily be to give Robinson more touches. It should be to make those touches more dangerous.
Brian Robinson Jr. can help by handling some of the physical carries between the tackles. Drake London, Kyle Pitts and the rest of Atlanta’s receiving group must also punish defenses that commit too many players to stopping the run.
Bijan Robinson is good enough to carry the offense for stretches. Whether Atlanta becomes a playoff team may depend on whether Stefanski can build an offense that complements him instead of depending entirely upon him.
3. Where will the pass rush come from?
Atlanta’s pass rush was one of the most encouraging developments of the 2025 season.
After years of struggling to pressure opposing quarterbacks, the Falcons recorded a franchise-record 57 sacks, the second-highest total in the NFL. Rookie James Pearce Jr. led the way with 10.5 sacks, while fellow first-round pick Jalon Walker added 5.5.
The Falcons appeared to have finally discovered the young pass-rushing foundation they had been searching for.
Then everything changed.
Walker suffered a torn ACL during training camp and will miss the entire 2026 season. Pearce has been suspended for the first eight games for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
That leaves Atlanta without both young edge rushers for the first half of the season.
The signing of veteran Za’Darius Smith should help. Smith brings 70.5 career sacks, physicality against the run and experience playing for Stefanski. However, at this stage of his career, Atlanta should not expect him to replace Walker and Pearce by himself.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will likely need to create pressure through multiple fronts, disguised blitzes and contributions from Azeez Ojulari, Samson Ebukam, Brandon Dorlus and other members of the defensive front.
Last season’s pass rush helped change the identity of Atlanta’s defense. Maintaining that improvement without Walker and Pearce may be the defense’s greatest challenge.
4. Can the offensive line keep the quarterbacks protected?
Four established starters return along Atlanta’s offensive line: Jake Matthews, Matthew Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil and Chris Lindstrom.
The uncertainty is at right tackle.
Kaleb McGary retired during the offseason, and Storm Norton will not play in 2026 after being placed on the reserve/PUP list. Atlanta responded by adding veteran Jawaan Taylor, but his availability during training camp has been affected by injury.
The Falcons have evaluated several alternatives, including Michael Jerrell, Wanya Morris and rookie Ethan Onianwa. The competition has given Atlanta options, but it has not necessarily provided a definitive answer.
Right tackle would be important under any circumstances. It becomes even more significant when the Falcons are preparing to protect two quarterbacks with substantial injury histories.
Stefanski and respected offensive line coach Bill Callahan are installing an offense that will place the quarterbacks under center more frequently while using a combination of zone and gap running concepts. That system can help the protection by creating play-action opportunities, but it still requires dependable blocking on the edge.
Atlanta cannot allow uncertainty at one position to undermine an otherwise experienced offensive line. Finding a reliable right tackle before the games begin will be essential to protecting Penix, supporting the running game and keeping the offense on schedule.
5. Can the Falcons survive a demanding opening schedule?
Atlanta will not have much time to settle into its new system.
The Falcons open on the road against Pittsburgh before hosting Carolina in Week 2. Four days later, they travel to Green Bay for a Thursday night game. After a short break, Atlanta visits New Orleans on Monday night and then returns home to face Baltimore.
That is a difficult opening stretch for a team adjusting to a new head coach and potentially managing uncertainty at quarterback.
The schedule also includes games against Chicago, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota and Detroit. In Week 9, Atlanta will face Cincinnati in Madrid.
The good news is that the NFC South appears open. Atlanta finished only one game behind Carolina and Tampa Bay in 2025, when both teams went 8-9. The Falcons will play four division games over the final six weeks, giving them an opportunity to control their position late in the year.
However, they cannot spend September and October waiting for everything to come together.
If Atlanta protects its home field, remains competitive while Pearce is suspended and avoids falling too far behind during Penix’s return, the Falcons should have an opportunity to contend in December.
If the offense struggles to adjust and the depleted pass rush cannot consistently affect opposing quarterbacks, the season could begin slipping away before Atlanta reaches its bye in Week 11.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 Atlanta Falcons are not short on talent.
They have an elite offensive weapon in Bijan Robinson, a proven receiver in Drake London, an experienced secondary led by Jessie Bates III and a young quarterback the organization hopes can become its long-term answer.
What Atlanta does not have is certainty.
The Falcons must determine whether Penix is ready, adapt the offense to Stefanski’s system, rebuild the pass rush, settle the right-tackle position and navigate a difficult opening schedule.
If they answer those five questions successfully, this could be the season Atlanta finally returns to the playoffs.
If they do not, another year of promise could end with another losing record—and another long offseason wondering what went wrong.
