The Atlanta Falcons are 3-7 this season. To make things worse, they saw quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffer an injury, and the Falcons' QB1 could miss the rest of the season.
On top of that, the Falcons' draft assets in 2026 are not looking very good, especially after a stunning decision.
During the draft, the Falcons stunned everybody by trading up with the Los Angeles Rams. The Falcons traded into the first round but sent the Rams a package that included the 2026 first-round pick. Now, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot has even more questions amid a losing season after trading what looks to be a top-10 pick.
In an episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Simmons did not hold back and ripped Fontenot for the trade.
“They traded next year’s number one for the 26th pick,” Simmons said. “Because they wanted to get the two pass rushers, because they were like, ‘Look how smart we are. We loaded up on pass rushers. They’re 3 – 7. They traded that pick to the Rams. The Rams have Atlanta’s pick and that’s going to be like the seventh pick in the draft. What an amazing trade. They basically gave up number 26, got a second-rounder and Atlanta’s first. I mean, that’s a fireable trade. In basketball, the guy’s getting fired.”
Atlanta selected Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the 26th overall pick, and while he is a good player, experts were shocked that the Falcons moved a future first to make the selection.
The Falcons parted ways with their second-round pick (No. 46), a seventh-round pick in 2025 (No. 242), and their 2026 first-rounder. In exchange, they received the Rams’ first-round selection (No. 26) and an additional third-round pick (No. 101) in the 2025 draft.
At the time, it looked bad. Now, it looks even worse.
The latest draft order has this pick landing at No. 10 overall, and it continues to look like a decision Fontenot and the Falcons might regret.
