Taking a look at the top 10 Atlanta Falcons under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
The Atlanta Falcons were able to put together a talented roster this past season, but they ultimately could not put it all together consistently. This led to yet another absence from the playoffs, and it led to head coach Raheem Morris getting fired. The team has named two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski as the new leader, hoping to fix this offense so it can compete in the NFC South.
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Atlanta Falcons still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All Atlanta Falcons salary cap data below is accurate as of February 18th, 2026.
10 Best Atlanta Falcons Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Atlanta Falcons still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Jake Matthews, OT ($27.3M)
- Chris Lindstrom, G ($26.3M)
- Jessie Bates III, S ($24.8M)
- AJ Terrell, CB ($22.5M)
- Drake London, WR ($16.8M)
- Kaleb McGary, OT ($15M)
- Devine Deablo, LB ($8.9M)
- Bijan Robinson, RB ($7M)
- Matthew Bergeron, G ($4.8M)
- Xavier Watts, S ($1.4M)
Highest Atlanta Falcons Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Atlanta Falcons’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- OT Jake Matthews, $27.3M ($37.3M dead cap)
- G Chris Lindstrom, $26.3M (27.8M)
- S Jessie Bates III, $24.8M ($18.3M)
- QB Kirk Cousins, $24.6M ($35M)
- CB AJ Terrell, $22.5M ($40M)
- WR Darnell Mooney, $18.4M ($11M)
- WR Drake London, $16.8M ($16.8M)
- OT Kaleb McGary, $15M ($16.5M)
- LB Devine Deablo, $8.9M ($3M)
- RB Bijan Robinson, $7M ($7M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 53 | $99,041,638 | $535,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 60 | $52,745,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 54 | $40,994,285 | $6,469,150 |
| 10 | NE | 64 | $35,200,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 11 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 12 | ARI | 61 | $34,823,790 | $3,934,104 |
| 13 | ATL | 51 | $26,181,296 | $2,235,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 54 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 58 | $22,523,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 56 | $11,687,593 | $9,341,094 |
| 19 | PHI | 65 | $9,814,036 | $40,359,938 |
| 20 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 57 | -$5,387,142 | $20,922,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | JAX | 62 | -$9,166,552 | $42,000,184 |
| 26 | BUF | 63 | -$10,522,073 | $432,166 |
| 27 | CHI | 54 | -$10,688,349 | $542,995 |
| 28 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$31,529,252 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
