The Atlanta Falcons play in the NFC South, which means they are always just one good NFL offseason away from winning the division and making the playoffs. With new president Matt Ryan and new head coach Kevin Stefanski, the future does look bright in Georgia. However, before the Falcons compete for a division title, they must clear some salary cap space in order to make more moves this summer.
Heading into the 2026 NFL offseason, the Falcons have $26.1 million in cap space, which is good for 13th in the league right now. That’s not bad, but a few moves can open up enough space to be a real player in free agency. So, here are the four moves the Falcons must make to clear salary cap space in the 2026 NFL offseason.
Cut Kirk Cousins after June 1
It’s officially time to get out from under the Kirk Cousins contract. He’s due to count for $24.6 million against the salary cap this season, but with the correct accounting maneuver, the Falcons can save some money this offseason.
The NFL allows teams to designate players as post-June 1 cuts and spread their dead cap hit over two years. If the Falcons cut Cousins right now, he’d cost $35 million against the cap instead of the $24.6 million. However, as a post-June 1 cut, Atlanta can take that $35 million as $22.6 million in dead cap this year and $12.5 million in 2027. That saves $2.1 million this offseason.
Saving $2.1 million now and dealing with that dead cap hit next season isn’t ideal, but it’s certainly better than the alternative. Because of the way the Falcons structured his contract, Cousins’ cap hit jumps from $24.6 million in 2026 to a whopping $90.4 million in 2027. This goes into effect on March 13, 2026, so expect to hear the news about Cousins’ release in the coming days.
Cut Darnell Mooney
While cutting Cousins is a long-term play, the Falcons can also save money this offseason in the short term by releasing veteran wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
After an excellent first season in Atlanta, Mooney’s numbers dropped significantly in 2026. He went from 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2025 to 32/443/1 in just one fewer game last season.
Currently, Mooney is slated to have an $18.4 million cap hit next season, but cutting him will save the Falcons $7.4 million. That will help the team sign a more productive free agent this offseason or give them more money to re-sign their own free-agent skill position players like Kyle Pitts, Tyler Allgeier, or David Sills V.
Extend Drake London and Jessie Bates
The final major move the Falcons must make to clear salary cap space in the 2026 NFL offseason is to give star wideout Drake London and veteran safety Jessie Bates contract extensions. These extensions can significantly reduce their cap numbers and keep two of the team’s stars happy and secure moving forward.
London heads into the season playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, which is $16.8 million. A market value four-year, $130 million extension could produce a 2026 salary cap hit of around $7.5 million, according to Spotrac, saving the Falcons $9.3 million.
For Bates, a three-year $50.2 million deal could take him from $24.7 million to $15.9 million, which is a reduction of $8.8 million.
These four moves would save the Falcons an additional $25.5 million in salary cap space right now, with that $2.1 million credit for Cousins coming after June 1. All told, that means the franchise jumps from $26.1 million in room to $51.7 million heading into free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, which gives Matt Ryan and company a lot more flexibility to play with.
