The Atlanta Falcons sent a significant group of coaches, coordinators, scouts, and front office staff to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week. The event began with two major announcements regarding the team’s roster.
General manager Ian Cunningham confirmed that the Falcons have placed the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts. Cunningham stated on Radio Row that this was “the right move” for the organization at this time. He explained that using the franchise tag is a way to “use the mechanisms provided by the league,” particularly as he was only recently hired on January 29. This decision gives the team additional time to evaluate Pitts’ future role and how it fits into their overall roster strategy.
“We’re not in the business of letting go really good players,” Cunningham said during an interview with 92.9 The Game.
Shortly after this announcement, Cunningham also revealed that quarterback Kirk Cousins will be released with a post-June 1 designation when the new league year begins on March 11. Cunningham noted that he had already informed Cousins and his representatives of this decision “out of respect” for all parties involved.
Both Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski discussed these moves during their media appearances at the combine. Cunningham emphasized his desire to accumulate more draft picks ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft weekend: “I said with our scouting staff last week, this is going to be the last year that we ever have five picks,” he said. “Like I’ve said before, I love picks. That’s going to be a part of our philosophy, and we’re going to have as many swings at the plate that we can.”
Stefanski spoke about aligning staff philosophies and ongoing evaluations of player personnel across positions. He expressed confidence in both his current roster and in Cunningham’s approach: “I feel good about where we are,” Stefanski said. “I know there’s 32 teams and everybody feels they could use a few more guys at a bunch of different spots, but I feel good about the guys we have. I feel really good about the plan that Ian has in place. And then, I feel really good about when I finally get my hands on these guys and we can coach them.”
Although Matt Ryan did not speak publicly during combine week, his influence as president of football operations was noted through his participation in formal interviews with prospects. Stefanski shared stories highlighting Ryan’s transition from being a prospect himself in 2008 to now helping lead Atlanta’s football operations.
The Falcons also announced Michael Bearden as their Ollie Wilson Coaching Fellow for 2026—a program named after former running backs coach Ollie Wilson who contributed significantly during two stints with Atlanta (1991–96; 2002–07). Wilson began his coaching career through a Minority Coaching Fellowship program similar to Bearden’s path.
“As a league, it is very obvious to me that we can do better having Black coaches in leadership positions,” Stefanski said regarding diversity initiatives within coaching ranks. He added: “Having the ability in my chair to develop young, Black coaches on the offensive side of the ball is important if you want to affect change, which we do here at the Falcons.”
Stefanski further explained his commitment: “In any line of work, we are the product of our experiences,” he concluded. “With young coaches, the more we can expose our coaches to all, the better they will be on the other end.
“Being with Tommy Rees on a daily basis, working with Kevin Koger, listening to how Bill Callahan coaches the offensive line, all of these add up to our coaches — in this case, Mike — finding his own voice as a coach. I think our job is to help our coaches develop, be intentional about their development, but when you have somebody like Mike who wants it, and wants to take all of this in and is someone with a very strong growth mindset, you have a chance in a given calendar year to grow exponentially.”
Looking ahead for fans following offseason developments: Free agency negotiations open March 9 at noon ET through March 11 at 4 p.m., followed by unrestricted free agent signings beginning March 12 at 4 p.m.
The Atlanta Falcons compete in the NFL’s NFC South division and are based out of Atlanta, Georgia since their founding as an expansion team in 1965. They have reached the Super Bowl twice, specifically appearing in 1998 and 2016. The team’s mascot is Freddie the Falcon (source).
