Falcons' James Pearce: Arrested on battery charges
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Pearce was arrested in Florida on Saturday on two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a count of aggravated stalking, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Pearce was also charged with fleeing and eluding police officers, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence to his person before being booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Given the nature of his changes, Pearce is expected to face discipline from the NFL, though the league will likely wait to make any such determination until more information emerges and the legal process plays out. Shortly after Pearce's arrest, the Falcons acknowledged in a statement that they are aware of the incident and are in the process of gathering more information on the matter, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The No. 26 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pearce finished third in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting after tallying 26 tackles, 10.5 sacks, five pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while playing in all 17 games during his first season in the league.
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Falcons' Leonard Floyd: Production dips in 10th NFL season
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Floyd recorded 19 tackles (six solo), including 3.5 sacks, and one pass defense across 15 regular-season games in 2025.
Floyd was cut by the 49ers in March in a cap-saving move but quickly inked a one-year, $10 million contract with the Falcons. He logged at least 8.5 sacks in five consecutive years prior to 2025 and was set to lead an Atlanta pass rush that also consisted of rookie first-rounders James Pearce and Jalon Walker. However, Floyd's defensive snap count and production dipped noticeably in 2025, as he set a career low in tackles while recording the least amount of sacks in a season since 2019 as a member of the Bears (3.0). Floyd is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and while Spotrac projects his annual market value at $8.9 million, it's hard to say whether a team is willing to pay that kind of money for an edge rusher entering his age-34 campaign.
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Falcons' Ruke Orhorhoro: More snaps in second season
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Orhorhoro played in all 17 regular-season games in 2025 and finished with 25 tackles (12 solo), including 3.5 sacks, and one pass defense.
The 2024 second-rounder out of Clemson operated in a rotational role in his rookie season. Orhorhoro saw an expanded role on defense in his sophomore campaign, starting in eight of the Falcons' final 12 games while forming a young defensive front with rookie first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce. Orhorhoro should see prominent playing time in 2026 as the anchor to the Atlanta's D-line.
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Falcons' LaCale London: Gets regular playing time in 2025
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London appeared in 13 regular-season games in 2025 and finished with 30 tackles (17 solo), including 5.0 sacks, one pass defense and one forced fumble.
London spent the entire 2024 campaign on the Falcons' practice squad and didn't appear in a game that year, but he earned a spot on the 53-man roster for 2025 following training camp. He was inactive for three games in the middle of the season, but his two-sack performance against the Patriots in Week 9 earned him some regular playing time over the final half the season. London will enter the offseason as a restricted free agent, which would allow Atlanta to match an offer that the 28-year-old receives from another team should the team opt to tender him.
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Falcons' JD Bertrand: Serves mostly on special teams
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Bertrand logged 35 tackles (13 solo) and two pass defenses in 15 regular-season games in 2025.
The second-year linebacker mostly operated on special teams this season. He did see more work on defense from Weeks 7 through 10 in the absence of Divine Deablo due to a forearm injury, and Bertrand logged 28 tackles (12 solo) and a pass defense over that four-game span. Bertrand would have a better chance to earn a starting role on the Falcons defense in 2026 if Kaden Elliss -- who is an unrestricted free agent -- takes his talents elsewhere.
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Falcons' Jalon Walker: Logs 5.5 sacks in rookie season
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Walker appeared in 14 regular-season games in 2025 and finished with 36 tackles (24 solo), including 5.5 sacks, one pass defense, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
The Falcons committed to their defense in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting both Walker and James Pearce in the first round. Walker missed two games in October due to a groin injury and played well in his return with 4.0 sacks over his next four outings. However, he logged one tackle or less in six of the last seven games of the season, and that lack of production may have been due to a quad injury he sustained in early December. Still, Walker finished second among rookies in sacks behind Pearce (10.5), and Atlanta can feel some confidence in their defense moving forward with their two young pass rushers.
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Falcons' David Onyemata: Posts career-high stops in 2025
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Onyemata played in 17 regular-season games for the Falcons in 2025 and finished with 62 tackles (29 solo), including 1.0 sack.
Onyemata's sack total was his lowest since his rookie campaign in 2016 with the Saints (zero), but he was still active on defense with 11 games with at least four stops en route to setting a career high in tackles. He has played every single regular-season game in three of the last four years, and that durability should help in negotiations with teams as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Falcons' James Pearce: Dazzles during rookie season
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Pearce tallied 26 total tackles (17 solo), including 10.5 sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Pearce, a 2025 first-round pick from Tennessee, was one of the NFL's premier pass rushers during his rookie campaign, leading all rookies with 10.5 sacks and tying for the 12th most in the league. The 22-year-old made a significant impact on Atlanta's defense, helping the Falcons finish with the second-most sacks in the NFL (57.0) after ranking 24th in the same category last season. Pearce is expected to line up opposite fellow 2025 first-round pick Jalon Walker in 2026, forming one of league's most promising pass-rush duos.
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Falcons' Dee Alford: Makes impact for Atlanta
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Alford tallied 67 total tackles (55 solo), including 2.0 sacks, 13 passes defensed, including three interceptions, and one forced fumble over 16 regular-season games in 2025.
The Tusculum product enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, setting personal highs in passes defensed, sacks and interceptions. Additionally, Alford was a key portion of the Falcons' secondary, finishing first on the team in passes defensed, tying for second in interceptions and ranking sixth in total tackles. Set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Alford could be in line for a decent contract following another impressive season in Atlanta.
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Falcons' A.J. Terrell: Another impressive season
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Terrell recorded 68 total tackles (49 solo), 12 passes defensed and two forced fumbles over 15 regular-season games in 2025.
Despite playing 86 fewer defensive snaps in 2025 than in 2024, Terrell still registered more total tackles (66 to 68), passes defensed (six to 12) and forced fumbles (zero to two) than he did last season. The veteran corner from Clemson has proven to be one of the NFL's premier defensive backs, posting 61 passes defensed, including six interceptions, since entering the league in 2020. Under contract through the 2028 season, Terrell is expected to remain a key portion of the Falcons' secondary for years to come.
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Falcons' Divine Deablo: Impresses when healthy
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Deablo recorded 73 total tackles (38 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and seven passes defensed across 13 regular-season games in 2025.
Despite missing four games this season due to a forearm injury, Deablo still ranked fourth on the Falcons in total tackles and tied for fourth in passes defensed. His impact on Atlanta's defense was evident, as the team allowed 29.8 points per game while he was sidelined, compared to just 21.7 when he was active. Under contract through next season, Deablo is expected to remain an integral portion of the Falcons' linebacker corps in 2026.
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Falcons' Jessie Bates: Numbers drop in 2025
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Bates posted 98 total tackles (57 solo), six passes defensed, including three interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
The veteran safety from Wake Forest was one of the Falcons' top defenders in 2025, finishing with the second-most tackles and tying for the second-most interceptions on the team. However, he saw a dip in total tackles (98 to 102), passes defensed (10 to six) and forced fumbles (four to one) from his 2024 totals, despite playing 36 more defensive snaps this season. While Bates' production has taken a dip in two consecutive seasons, he remains one of the NFL's premier safeties. Under contract through the 2026 season, he's expected to remain one of the Falcons' top defensive playmakers next year.
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Falcons' Cobee Bryant: Enters concussion protocol
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Bryant has entered the league's concussion protocol and has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Bryant was shaken up after taking a knee to the helmet from Saints running back Audric Estime, and the former will not return. Natrone Brooks and Dee Alford are slated to see more snaps at outside corner for the rest of Sunday's game in Bryant's absence.
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Falcons' Ruke Orhorhoro: Cleared to play Week 18
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Orhorhoro (illness) is active for Sunday's game against the saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Orhorhoro was a late addition to Saturday's injury report due to an illness, but the second-year pro has shown enough during pregame warmups to be cleared to play in Sunday's regular-season finale. He has accumulated 24 tackles (12 solo), including 3.4 sacks, and one pass defense across 16 regular-season games.
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Falcons' Sam Roberts: Won't face Saints
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Roberts (knee) was not activated from injured reserve Saturday and has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Saints, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.
Roberts has been practicing for the last week and even upgraded to a full session Friday. However, he still won't be able to return for Sunday's season finale and will have missed the final eight games of the 2025 season. Roberts tallied 18 tackles and 1.0 sacks across five games on the campaign.
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Falcons' DeMarcco Hellams: Done for year
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Hellams (hamstring) was not activated from injured reserve Saturday and has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Saints, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.
Hellams was designated to return Wednesday after missing Atlanta's last four games. He logged a full practice Friday after logging two limited sessions earlier in the week, but that won't be enough for him to play in the Falcons' season finale. Hellams played almost exclusively on special teams and logged 10 tackles across 11 games in 2025.
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Falcons' A.J. Terrell: Questionable with illness
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Terrell (illness) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Saints, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.
Terrell was a new addition to Saturday's injury report with a sudden illness. If the cornerback is unable to overcome the issue in time for Sunday's divisional clash, he will likely be inactive for the game. If Terrell is unable to play, Natrone Brooks would be set to start at outside cornerback opposite Cobee Bryant.
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Falcons' Brandon Dorlus: Notches second straight DNP
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Dorlus (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Dorlus couldn't finish Monday's win over the Rams after suffering an injury early in the second half. He was deemed a non-participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report (Atlanta held a walkthrough) and was labeled with another DNP for Thursday's padded practice. The initial belief was that Dorlus' injury was to his knee, but it's since been discovered that he actually hurt his hamstring, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. Head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday that the team "dodged a big-time bullet" with Dorlus, according to Raimondi, but the second-year defensive end still isn't expected to play in Atlanta's regular-season finale Sunday against New Orleans, per McElhaney.
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Falcons' Josh Woods: Returns to team
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Woods (personal) did not have a designation in Wednesday's estimated practice report, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Woods missed Atlanta's upset win in Week 17 due to a personal matter. His absence from the injury report suggests he'll be back in Week 18 against the Saints and should play almost entirely on special teams.
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Falcons' Mike Ford: No designation to begin week
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Ford was not listed in Wednesday's estimated practice report, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Ford suffered an ankle injury in Monday's win over the Rams and did not return. However, the issue won't jeopardize his status for Atlanta's Week 18 matchup against the Saints, and he should retain his significant role on special teams.
