Jimmy Horn Jr. has been waived by the Carolina Panthers despite his good preseason, and after the Panthers lost in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears

Horn had no yards and no receptions in the loss on one target, but did have a costly muffed punt.

Horn was a sixth-round pick in 2025 and served primarily as the team’s punt returner, which is what he did in Week 1.

His bad punt led to a field goal for Chicago and seems to be the main reason he was cut.

Turnovers, including the punt, were costly for the Panthers in Week 1. The team totaled three, each in a different way: a muffed punt, an interception, and a fumble.

Those three turnovers cost them 17 points in a 22-point loss. A ton of penalties also led Head Coach Dave Canales to speak after the game about playing smarter. He said the performance wasn’t good enough: “17 points off of turnovers against a really good team, that’s not something that you can do to play the championship football that we need to play.”

Horn got a good amount of reps last year for the Panthers and played a normal amount of snaps in Week 1 for his normal workload.

Linebacker Tyrel Dodson will take Horn’s roster spot after being promoted from the practice squad.

Dodson began the year as a part of the Miami Dolphins organization and was cut just before the start of the regular season.

With Trevor Etienne out with an ankle injury, the team will need to find a new punt and kickoff returner. Perhaps the Panthers will look to the other five receivers still on the roster.

The Panthers look ahead to the Atlanta Falcons this weekend in a battle between two teams that lost their opener.

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has been suspended for the first eight games of the 2026 NFL season for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy, the NFL announced this week. The suspension begins August 30 and runs through the Falcons’ Week 8 game, with Pearce eligible for reinstatement on November 2.

Why Was James Pearce Jr. Suspended?

The ban stems from a February arrest near Miami, where Pearce was taken into custody following a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend, WNBA forward Rickea Jackson. He was charged with three felonies — aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence — along with a misdemeanor stalking count.

>SLIDESHOW: 50 MOST-INFAMOUS ATHLETE MUGSHOTS & THE STORIES BEHIND THEM!

Pearce did not appeal the NFL’s ruling, making the eight-game suspension final. Per league policy, he remains eligible to participate in all Falcons preseason activities, including exhibition games, before the suspension takes effect for the regular season.

Legal Status Still Pending

Court proceedings are separate from the NFL’s discipline. In April, Pearce agreed to a six-month pretrial intervention program, a deal that could lead to the felony and misdemeanor charges being dropped entirely if he satisfies the program’s conditions. That timeline runs roughly parallel to his NFL suspension, meaning both matters could resolve around the same point in the season.

Impact on the Falcons

Pearce, 22, was a key part of Atlanta’s pass rush after being selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. With the suspension looming, the Falcons had already begun adjusting their depth chart, listing Pearce as a third-string option heading into the season. His absence for roughly half the schedule forces Atlanta to lean more heavily on its other edge rushers as the team looks to stay competitive in a tight NFC South race.

Pearce is expected back in the lineup in early November, giving the Falcons a second-half boost if he returns to form. Until then, his case remains a storyline to watch — both for its impact on Atlanta’s defense and for how the pending legal proceedings play out over the coming months.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jalon Walker will miss the entire 2026 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a training camp practice, a significant setback for a defense that had been counting on him as a starter.

Walker was carted off the practice field Tuesday following the injury, and imaging afterward confirmed the ACL tear. The 2025 first-round pick out of Georgia, selected 15th overall, had been expected to anchor the Falcons’ defensive front this season after a productive rookie campaign in which he racked up 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. The team confirmed the season-ending diagnosis and offered a brief message of support on social media, writing, “We’re with you, 11. Get well soon.”

Teammates were quick to speak to Walker’s importance within the locker room. Offensive tackle Jake Matthews called him one of the defense’s clear leaders, someone who set an example through his play rather than just his words. “That’s the worst part of this game, seeing stuff like that,” Matthews said, adding that he expects Walker to return fully recovered and back to form once healed.

The injury compounds a rough stretch for Atlanta’s 2025 first-round defensive class. Walker was one of two pass rushers the Falcons selected in that year’s opening round, alongside James Pearce, who has faced separate off-field legal issues stemming from an alleged domestic dispute in Florida and was recently approved for a pretrial diversion program.

With Walker now sidelined for the year, Atlanta’s coaching staff will need to lean more heavily on its remaining defensive personnel to fill the void left by one of the unit’s most promising young players heading into the season.

The transition from college football to the NFL is one of the most uncertain periods in an athlete’s life, especially for children of famous parents. In this case, that means Deion Sanders and his son, Shedeur Sanders.

Deion Sanders is a Pro Football Hall of Famer. He won Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys and also played for the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens.

He’s a legend and currently the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffaloes are at a crossroads, with Sanders now under pressure after a disappointing 2025 season and the departure of several players to the transfer portal. As he works to rebuild the program through recruiting, there are also questions about the role of his son, Deion Sanders Jr., who runs the Well Off Media YouTube channel covering the team.

Sanders Jr. was recently on a video call with the director of player personnel, Darius Darden-Box, to get updates on recruiting. He said, “There are 10 people here on campus—some good families, a lot of Florida kids. We’ve got five guys committed from the state of Florida. I’m trying to make Deion Sanders proud with that.”

Many fans were upset with Sanders in 2023, his first season with the Buffaloes. Colorado started the year hot but drew attention mainly for its use of the transfer portal instead of traditional high school recruiting. Now, with the Indiana Hoosiers winning a national title built from the transfer portal under coach Curt Cignetti in just two years, there are comparisons and added pressure on Sanders and the Buffaloes.

Sanders is on a five-year, $54 million contract that runs through 2029. If he is fired, the program may owe him a buyout north of $30 million, making a coaching change financially difficult.

​Just two seasons ago, Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 season and coached Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Not all is bad for him: Shedeur Sanders could be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns if Deshaun Watson is not healthy.

With all that said, Deion Sanders faces significant pressure this season.

The Atlanta Falcons signed star wide receiver Drake London to a four-year, $141 million extension, with $100 million guaranteed. This move signals a major commitment to their future.

The extension makes London one of the highest-paid receivers in NFL history. His average annual salary of $35 million ranks third among NFL wide receivers and is the highest annual value ever given by the Falcons.​

London arrived in Atlanta as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of USC. Since joining the NFL, he has been a key weapon for the Falcons’ passing attack—regardless of whether the quarterback was Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr. or possibly Tua Tagovailoa this year. Through four seasons, London has recorded 309 receptions, 3,961 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns despite playing with multiple quarterbacks and offensive systems.

London’s breakout campaign came in 2024, when he had nine touchdowns and more than 1,200 yards. He’s a major mismatch for defenders in the red zone. New head coach Kevin Stefanski—a two-time Coach of the Year award winner—could use him even more effectively in 2026. Stefanski struggled last season with the Cleveland Browns, as the team cycled through quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Dylan Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

The Falcons have several young, talented players—Bijan Robinson out of Texas andKyle Pitts, who has been with the team since 2021. Atlanta is committed to keeping its core playmakers together. If they can produce, the Falcons could compete in the NFC South.

Former play-caller Zach Robinson is now in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, adding a new wrinkle to the division rivalry.

​

After missing out on an international game last season, the Cincinnati Bengals were granted one. They will face the Atlanta Falcons at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, in Week 9.

It has been rumored that quarterback Joe Burrow was the main factor in the NFL’s decision to give them a game overseas. The NFL announced that the Miami Dolphins would be playing the NFL’s first game in Madrid in February 2025, and by March, speculation arose that the Bengals would be their opponent.

“Please be true,” Burrow wrote on his Instagram story in March 2025. Instead, the Washington Commanders got the opportunity to play the Spain game over the Bengals.

After the 2025-2026 season’s schedule was released, Burrow remarked during an interview that he would like to see the Bengals play an international game next season. Burrow then revealed that his main motive for volunteering to be on Netflix’s Quarterback show was to spread the game to more international fans.

“Part of the reason I wanted to do the Quarterback show was to help grow the game internationally, and so to not have a stage like that is a little disappointing,” Burrow said. “Because I feel like I’ve consciously worked hard to try to grow the game internationally over the last 18 months or so. So hopefully at some point in my career, we can go over there.”

The Bengals will be playing their first international game of the decade and their first since 2019, when they lost 24-10 to the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium in London, England. They also tied the then-Washington Redskins 27-27 in 2016, making the Spain game Cincinnati’s third appearance abroad.

The team celebrated the announcement by photoshopping Burrow’s Instagram story from last year. Burrow also believes that the Bengals are a good team to spread the game abroad.

“The game has a lot of room to grow,” Burrow said Tuesday on the team’s website. “Just like basketball did in the ’80s and ’90s. The Bulls kind of spearheaded that. Made it global, and hopefully the Bengals can do the same thing over the next couple of years for the NFL.”

After losing their first two international contests at Wembley Stadium, the Bengals are one of seven teams to have never won an international contest.

The Atlanta Falcons have big plans for wide receiver prospect Zachariah Branch despite his recent arrest in Athens, Georgia, on two misdemeanor charges.

The two charges Branch is facing include obstructing public sidewalks/streets, prowling, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer. He was booked at 1:26 a.m. and released at 3:44 a.m., posting a $39 bond, according to the Athens Clarke County arrest log.

>SLIDESHOW: 50 MOST-INFAMOUS ATHLETE MUGSHOTS & THE STORIES BEHIND THEM!

The former USC Trojan and Georgia Bulldog was drafted by the Falcons soon after the incident.

According to the police report, Branch failed “to comply with multiple verbal lawful commands” while blocking a sidewalk.

The police were called because of a large crowd that formed outside a bar in Athens. “The crowd was blocking the entrance, and individuals were attempting to enter the establishment despite it not being open for entry at that time,” according to the police.

Branch was ranked in the top 100 prospects according to draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. The speedy receiver ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

The trial of former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs and his personal chef began on May 4.

Diggs is accused of strangulation, assault and battery against his personal chef after a pay dispute. Diggs was arrested in December 2025 and was released on bail.

The arraignment for the trial was scheduled for Jan. 23. However, the judge moved it back to Feb. 13, citing “previous professional commitments.” Diggs and the Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game two days after the originally scheduled arraignment. The new arraignment was five days after their Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Diggs pleaded not guilty to all charges. Diggs’ legal team has described the accusations as “categorically false.”

Earlier this offseason, Diggs was released by the Patriots. He has yet to sign with a new team, possibly because teams are waiting for the outcome of this case.

Patriots officials mostly cited the $26.5 million cap hit due to Diggs in the 2026 season as the reason for releasing him. 

Diggs had 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season. However, he showed a decline in the playoffs. His best game of the playoffs was the divisional round game against the Houston Texans, when he had just 40 yards. He had 37 yards in the Super Bowl loss.

The allegations, playoff decline and massive cap hit created the perfect storm that led to Diggs’ release. The Patriots plan to trade for A.J. Brown after June 1 to make up for the loss of Diggs. 

The Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons all showed interest in signing Diggs. 

The trial is expected to last two or three days before deliberations. The NFL has not announced any suspensions for Diggs. 

Diggs had other legal cases, including a defamation lawsuit he brought against an influencer who said he propositioned him.

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. will join an intervention program. 

Pearce Jr. was facing charges of domestic violence, stalking, felony aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing and resisting an officer without violence to his person. Pearce Jr. will need to attend anger management therapy for six months as part of his intervention program. 

On Feb. 7, police reports said that Pearce Jr. followed his ex-girlfriend and WNBA player, Rickea Jackson, with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department.

Pearce Jr. was arrested the day the alleged domestic violence happened. Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran over the knee of a police officer. As he was trying to escape, Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection. Officers again attempted to arrest Pearce Jr., but he resisted arrest further. Police did eventually arrest him after the accident.

On Feb. 14, Jackson told the court she was willing to testify against Pearce Jr. On March 14, she filed a motion for a protective order against Pearce Jr. She told the court that she was in fear for her life and that she believed Pearce Jr. would kill her if the courts didn’t intervene.

Jackson and Pearce Jr. dated for three years until about April 2025. They met while playing for Tennessee. Jackson currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. Pearce Jr.’s team, the Falcons, said in February that they needed more information before making a statement. Two months have passed since the charges were filed, and the Falcons have yet to make a statement.

Florida law requires that Jackson and the police officers be consulted before the deal is finalized. Pearce Jr. is due in court on May 7 to accept the deal.

Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell has signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

The financial details have not been revealed at this time. This will be Campbell’s 19th season in the NFL.

Last season, Campbell had 6.5 sacks and 43 tackles with the Arizona Cardinals. 

Campbell was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He originally played for them from 2008-2016. 

He made the Pro Bowl with the Cardinals in 2014 and 2015. After the 2016 season, his franchise tag extension expired.

In the 2017 offseason, Campbell signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He made the Pro Bowl each of his three seasons with the Jaguars. He was a big part of the 2017 Jaguars team that reached the conference championship. Although they lost to the New England Patriots, this was widely considered one of the best seasons in the Jaguars’ history. 

After the 2019 season, the Jaguars traded Campbell to the Ravens for a fifth-round pick. Campbell signed a one-year extension right after the trade. He made the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Ravens. In 2021, he began to decline, recording just 1.5 sacks.

After leaving the Ravens in 2022, Campbell played for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, the Miami Dolphins in 2024 and the Cardinals in 2025. He’s managed to slow his decline, getting 6.5 sacks in 2023 and 2025.  

This offseason, the Ravens hired Anthony Weaver as their defensive coordinator. He played for the Houston Texans during Campbell’s rookie season. Weaver is known for being aggressive with interior pressure. However, his usage of the secondary has received criticism. Safety Jordan Poyer said “nobody” understood Weaver’s system. 

Regardless, Weaver should have an easy time incorporating Campbell into the Ravens system.  

Nasir Adderley signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts to return from retirement.

Adderley retired from the NFL in 2022 after four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. He cited health, family and entrepreneurship goals as reasons for his retirement.

The Chargers drafted Adderley in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he played just four games. In 2021, he had 99 tackles in 15 games. He was a relatively healthy player, playing in at least 14 games from 2020 to 2022. However, he abruptly announced his retirement during the 2023 offseason. 

His return to the NFL felt just as sudden as his departure. The Colts had already signed Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas at the safety position. This is, along with already having Hunter Wohler and Cam Bynum. 

Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo strives for versatility in his defense, particularly in the secondary. He’s known for changing his schemes drastically depending on the opponent. While with the Cincinnati Bengals, he made many adjustments to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs on the road to a Super Bowl appearance. 

During his best season in 2021, Adderley had Renaldo Hill as his defensive coordinator. Hill is also known for versatility in his scheme. The main difference is that Hill was generally pretty consistent with having two-high safeties. Still, working in a versatile scheme like this can help prepare a defender for many different future schemes. 

The Colts currently have the fourth-longest playoff drought in football. They last made the playoffs in the 2020 season. Only the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints have longer playoff droughts. 

The Colts were 8-5 before Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles injury. The Colts are trusting that the roster can return to their peak form from last season. They have signed Jones and Alec Pierce to extensions.

The Las Vegas Raiders have signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. 

Cousins will sign a five-year, $172 million contract. The Raiders are expected to draft Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Cousins previously signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. He was released earlier this offseason to clear cap space.

Although his new contract may seem big, there’s important context to add. 2026 is the only guaranteed season. He will make a guaranteed $20 million in 2026. 2027 and 2028 come with team options. If the Raiders decline these options, the contract automatically voids. The final two seasons are void years. The contract gives the Raiders a lot of cap flexibility going forward.

Cousins served as the Falcons’ backup last season. Despite this, he still got to start eight games in 2025 because starter Michael Penix Jr. was hurt. Cousins led the Falcons to a 5-3 record in his starts with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Falcons finished the season on a four-game winning streak with Cousins starting.

Despite playing well, Cousins’s contract was too large to keep paying him. The Raiders get a reliable QB to mentor Mendoza.

Since Patrick Mahomes sat on the bench in his rookie season, it’s become more common for teams to keep their first-round QBs on the bench for most of their rookie season. With Cousins, the Raiders get a reliable starter. He’ll likely be an upgrade over Geno Smith, who led the league in interceptions in 2025. 

On top of that, Cousins also has experience with the new Raiders head coach, Klint Kubiak. They worked together with the Minnesota Vikings. Kubiak was the QB coach in 2019-2020 and the offensive coordinator in 2021. Cousins made two of his four career Pro Bowl appearances with Kubiak as a coach. 

The Chicago Bears were blindsided by center Drew Dalman announcing his retirement on March 3.

Dalman was just in his fifth NFL season and made the Pro Bowl in 2025.

Dalman was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. In his rookie season, Dalman played in all 17 games but only played 68 snaps.

>SLIDESHOW: 50 MOST-INFAMOUS ATHLETE MUGSHOTS & THE STORIES BEHIND THEM!

He became the Falcons’ starting center in 2022. He made some mistakes, particularly a lot of holding penalties, but showed potential. He showed improvement in 2023 by committing only two penalties. 

2024 was an injury-riddled season for Dalman, as he played in just nine games. Despite this, he still garnered interest from several teams in free agency. Dalman signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Bears in the 2025 offseason. 

Dalman was a big reason for the Bears’ offensive line improvements. After having one of the worst offensive lines in 2024, the Bears had the No. 2 offensive line according to Pro Football Network. Guard Joe Thuney made the Pro Bowl for the Bears along with Dalman. 

As of now, Dalman has not given a reason for his retirement. However, Bears journalists and fans think that his father could be the reason. Dalman’s father, Chris Dalman, played in the NFL as well. He won Super Bowl XXIX with the San Francisco 49ers. However, his career was cut short due to a neck injury. 

“I’ve been OK with this decision for a long time,” Dalman’s father said. “When I first got hurt, and I couldn’t move, lying on the field for about 30 seconds, I knew it was probably over. Still, it’s strange to think that this part of your life is over.”

Regardless of the reason, the Bears will look to replace Dalman in free agency or the draft. 

The Atlanta Falcons are set to have a quarterback competition heading into next season after signing free agent quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa will be competing with third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in November of 2025.

Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said definitively that Penix and Tagovailoa will be battling to be the team’s starting quarterback during training camp. The former Miami Dolphins quarterback signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Falcons following his release.

“For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in to compete,” the Falcons GM said during a press conference. “Just like Michael knows that he’s coming in to compete and everybody, quite frankly – not just those two at the quarterback position – but everybody’s coming in to compete.”

With Penix recovering from that ACL injury, it makes sense that the Falcons would want to bring in another veteran quarterback, as Penix has dealt with knee problems during his time at Indiana. It is also unclear when he will be able to return to action, as the timetable is nine to 12 months.

Tagovailoa is joining a new regime in Atlanta with Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Falcons fired former head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot following a disappointing 2025 season.

Cunningham is coming from the Chicago Bears, where he served as an assistant general manager. Stefanski was previously the head coach for the Cleveland Browns before they decided to part ways.

The Falcons also added a new position to their front office that will be filled by franchise legend Matt Ryan. Ryan will take on a new role as the president of football.

Penix was notified that the team was bringing in Tagovailoa, operating differently than when they drafted Penix, and did not tell newly signed free-agent Kirk Cousins.

“You don’t want to blindside somebody, and that’s just how we operate,” Cunningham said. “We want to have open conversations and communication, and I feel like we did that in regards to Michael and Tua.”

The Falcons have finished 8-9 in consecutive seasons and will hope to improve on that mark and win the NFC South.

WNBA player Rickea Jackson has filed a motion for a protective order against her ex-boyfriend, NFL star James Pearce Jr. 

On Feb. 7, police reports said that Pearce Jr. followed Jackson with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department. Jackson told the court that she is in fear of her life and that she believes Pearce Jr. will kill her if the courts don’t intervene. 

Pearce Jr. was arrested the day the alleged domestic violence happened. Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran over the knee of a police officer. As he was trying to escape, Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection. Officers again attempted to arrest Pearce Jr., but he resisted arrest further. Police did eventually arrest him after the accident.

>SLIDESHOW: 50 MOST-INFAMOUS ATHLETE MUGSHOTS & THE STORIES BEHIND THEM!

Pearce Jr. is charged with domestic violence and stalking against Jackson. He is also charged with felony aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence to his person during the police encounter. 

On Feb. 14, Jackson announced that she was willing to testify in the case against Pearce Jr. 

Jackson and Pearce Jr. had dated for three years until about April 2025. They met while playing for Tennessee. Pearce Jr. plays for the Atlanta Falcons while Jackson plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. The Falcons said they were gathering more information before making a statement.

Pearce Jr. maintains his innocence. His legal team said that the allegations do not tell the complete story. Pearce Jr. has been released on a $20,500 bond. 

There is no scheduled trial date for Pearce Jr. Trial bonds generally do not include restrictions on movement, which prompted Jackson to file for the protective order. 

The Atlanta Falcons plan to sign quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 

Tagovailoa was released by the Miami Dolphins just hours before the start of the legal tampering period. The Falcons signed him later in the day to a one-year contract. 

The Dolphins had to absorb $99 million in dead cap over the next two seasons to release Tagovailoa. This is the largest dead cap hit in NFL history. 

The Falcons released their veteran QB Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason. Cousins had 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games. The Falcons went on a four-game winning streak with Cousins to end the season. They had restructured his contract, but even with the restructure, it was still financially beneficial to release him. 

Next on the depth chart could have been Michael Penix Jr. Penix Jr. has a 4-8 record in the NFL since being drafted in 2024. 

Instead, the Falcons will entrust Tagovailoa with the starting QB duties. Tagovailoa threw 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2025 – the 15 interceptions were a career high for him. 

A major problem with Tagovailoa’s career has been injury issues. Tagovailoa has only played every game in one season. This season was in 2023, when he led the league with 4,624 passing yards. A big reason for that was thanks to Tyreek Hill, who led the league with 1,799 receiving yards. Hill was released by the Dolphins earlier this offseason.

The Falcons’ new offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, has a very QB-friendly system. Rees is big on establishing the run and creating simple looks for QBs. Along with this, he also likes to use two tight ends to maximize protection. This could help keep Tagovailoa healthy. 

Tagovailoa and the Falcons will officially sign the contract on March 11, the beginning of the new league year.

The Atlanta Falcons fired assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis on Friday after he was accused of sexual assault. In a statement, the team said that they were “aware of allegations regarding Lewis” and were “in the process of gathering information.”

In 2024, while at the University of Michigan, Lewis met a woman on a dating app.

Karen Truszkowski, the woman’s attorney, said that Lewis’s behavior became “increasingly aggressive” over the phone and recalled that Lewis was supposed to return the goods her client had given him.

In December 2024, Lewis allegedly raped and battered Truszkowski’s client at Weber’s Hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Milford Police Department responded to a call from the woman’s house in January 2025 after an intense argument between her and Lewis occurred. Despite no charges being filed following the incident, Truszkowski claimed that Lewis physically abused her client and that she was too afraid to tell the police at the time.

Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was notified about the incident but did not take further action. Truszkowski remarked that Moore instead “weaponized” the incident by sending the woman sexually charged messages. Moore is currently awaiting trial after being arrested on charges related to his inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.

Lewis was hired to the Falcons on Feb. 10 after spending the 2025 season coaching the University of Toledo’s defensive line.

Lewis spent three seasons with the Michigan Wolverines as a graduate assistant – he was a member of the 2023-2024 coaching staff, the season when Michigan won the National Championship.

Before coaching, Lewis played for the Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a couple of seasons and later spent 2020 with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks. Lewis was fired less than a month into his tenure with the Falcons.

The team has faced other legal drama this year.

Falcon’s Linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested in Miami in early February after fleeing police and crashing his car after a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

Kirk Cousins‘ tenure with the Atlanta Falcons is coming to an end as the veteran quarterback is expected to be released when the free-agent signing period begins in March.

Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham announced the news on Tuesday during a local radio interview, adding that he has already informed Cousins and his agent of the decision.

Cousins, 37, was the team’s backup quarterback to begin the year last season but took over as the starter when second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending injury. In his time as the starter, Cousins threw for 1,471 yards and 10 touchdowns, showing his tank isn’t empty just yet.

The Falcons went 5-2 with Cousins, missing the playoffs by one game.

Cousins will have plenty of suitors who are looking for a veteran quarterback to provide stability or as a backup quarterback for a team that already has a younger quarterback.

The Falcons signed Cousins in 2024 after he tore his Achilles tendon the previous season with the Vikings. After signing Cousins, the Falcons drafted Penix with their first-round pick, causing confusion about why they had signed Cousins. Cousins was later benched that season in favor of the rookie after struggling in the new system.

Cousins will be heading into his 13th season in the NFL and has put together a career to be proud of, totaling just under 45,000 passing yards and throwing 298 touchdowns.

It is yet to be seen what teams will show interest in Cousins, but his strong finish to the 2025 season showed teams he still has some juice in his arm.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was found dead on Feb. 22 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

New Albany, Indiana, police found Moore’s body in a garage in the town. Moore was born and raised in New Albany. Police have not released specific information yet, including whether it was his garage or someone else’s. 

Rondale Moore’s Cause Of Death

Moore became famous during his time at Purdue. In 2018, he had 114 receptions, 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the Big Ten. This is the fourth most yards for a freshman wide receiver in college football history. 

Moore’s next two seasons at college were limited due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic. He played just seven games in the two seasons. At this rate, he would have 1,127 yards a season. Despite limited playing time outside of his freshman year, he clearly showed his talent. He declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Moore was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played three seasons for the Cardinals from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, he played all 17 games. Despite this, he only had 352 yards.

Moore was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 offseason. He suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. The Vikings signed him in the 2025 offseason. He again suffered an injury in the preseason that prevented him from playing a regular-season game. 

The autopsy report for Moore has not been released at this time. Police are not releasing a lot of information out of respect for Moore’s family. Moore had never been diagnosed with mental health issues.

Moore’s former teammate, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, told People that he had spoken with Moore just hours before his death, when Moore told him he was struggling.

WNBA star Rickea Jackson’s attorneys have filed a court notice informing Miami-Dade County that she is willing to testify in the case of alleged domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend, James Pearce Jr. 

Jackson and Pearce Jr. dated for three years until about April 2025. On Feb. 7, police reports say that Pearce Jr. followed Jackson with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department. 

Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran into the knee of a police officer. Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection, which allowed police to reach him. Pearce Jr. attempted to resist arrest further, but police were able to arrest him anyway. 

Along with the domestic violence charge, he’s also charged with stalking Jackson. He also received charges of felony aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence to his person for his alleged attempts to evade arrest. The last charge is a misdemeanor. 

Jackson had transferred to Tennessee for the 2022-23 college basketball season. Pearce Jr. played football at Tennessee for three seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Pearce Jr. maintains his innocence. His legal team said that the allegations do not tell the complete story. The Falcons issued a statement saying they were gathering more information before making any further comments. 

Pearce Jr. was released on $20,500 bond on Feb. 8. Pearce Jr. received a pretrial order to stay away from Jackson. At this point, no trial date has been set for Pearce Jr.