With the free agency window quickly approaching, teams around the league are making tough decisions to cut players from the roster with the goal of saving more cap space. The Atlanta Falcons did just that on Wednesday by letting go of a former Pro Bowler.
Reports indicate that the Falcons are cutting KhaDarel Hodge from the roster, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. Atlanta will be clearing $2.64 million in cap space with this decision.
“The Falcons are releasing WR and former Pro Bowl special-teamer KhaDarel Hodge, per Jordan Schulz. Move will clear $2,640,000 in salary cap space.”
Hodge, who is 31 years old, just wrapped up his eighth season in the NFL. He played for the Falcons for the past four seasons, primarily on special teams. The veteran wideout was named a Pro Bowler in the 2024-25 season for his efforts on special teams. While Atlanta moved on, Hodge could have a shot at signing with a new club this offseason that needs a high-quality gunner.
With this decision, the Falcons are seemingly going in a different direction with the gunner position. The gunner is typically a wide receiver or a cornerback who lines up on the outside edge on punts and kick-offs. Hodge has been a consistent gunner throughout his eight years in the league.
Cutting Hodge saves the Falcons a little bit of money. The franchise is projected to have between $25 million and $28 million in available cap space once free agency starts on March 11 (the legal tampering window opens March 9).
Atlanta entered a new era after firing Raheem Morris as head coach and replacing him with Kevin Stefanski. The club hopes to turn things around quickly, as the Falcons have not made the playoffs since 2017.
