Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jalon Walker (11) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It didn’t take long for the good feelings about the Falcons outside linebacker group to curdle. James Pearce Jr.‘s arrested on very serious charges of stalking his ex-girlfriend, ramming her car, and resisting arrest means his future with the team is extremely cloudy just weeks after he finished 2025 with a rookie Falcons record of 10.5 sacks. Leonard Floyd, Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone, and Khalid Kareem are all free agents, leaving only Jalon Walker as a sure thing for 2026.
But what a year 2025 was, eh? Let’s review this past season and talk about what’s ahead.
Jalon Walker
Pearce overshadowed Walker to an extent with his gaudy sack totals, but aside from some struggles in coverage, the Georgia product was excellent in his rookie. Despite dealing with injuries that limited him early on, Walker proved to be a stellar run defender—one of a small handful in Atlanta—who added enough big play potential and pass rushing acumen to make him an excellent piece of the defense in 2025.
Walker had 29 pressures—the fifth-highest total on the team—and was third in sacks. He flew to the ball against the run and missed just 5% of his tackle attempts, showcasing his reliability, instincts, and strength. And Walker tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles, making it clear he can be a nuisance in that regard as well.
There are no red flags here to talk about. Walker should only get better as he improves his coverage chops and refines his pass rush skill set, and teammates and coaches have raved about his leadership and attitude. There’s little question that if he stays healthy, Walker will be a force for good and a long-term team captain in Atlanta, and the Falcons need him to be every bit as good as they (and I) think he can be.
James Pearce Jr.
Pearce got off to a hot start with eight pressures in his first two weeks, but had just five over his next five weeks and one sack total in the first nine weeks. It appeared he’d have a useful but not spectacular rookie season—his run defense was pretty grisly at times, too—until the lights came on in Week 9 against the Patriots.
From that point on, Pearce’s run defense improved in fits and starts and he put up 32 pressures, 9.5 sacks, and 14 stops over the final eight weeks of the season. The vaunted pass rush ability clicked, Pearce was routinely beating decent tackles and wreaking havoc, and the slow transformation into a more well-rounded player made him a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year, an award he finished third in voting for. It was enough to give him the Falcons rookie record in sacks and set him up as the most promising long-term pass rusher since early Vic Beasley or even John Abraham.
The problem, of course, is that there’s no guarantee he plays for the Falcons or in the NFL next year, or in the most extreme case at all.
Pearce was arrested and charged with multiple felonies earlier this month after allegedly stalking his ex-girlfriend, repeatedly running into her car to try to prevent her from going to police, hitting a police officer with his car, fleeing police, and then resisting arrest, with the last bit being on video. Given the very real potential that he could have severely injured or killed his ex-girlfriend or himself and that cops and prosecutors are not known to be lenient with offenses that involve police, Pearce’s charges should not be waved away, and there’s the very real potential of jail time even though we all have a healthy degree of skepticism toward that for famous athletes. The most exciting pass rusher the Falcons have had in many, many years is facing allegations that mean he may have thrown away his 2026 season or even his entire career, and the Falcons have to plan as though they may not have him for a significant chunk of this upcoming season as a result.
Leonard Floyd
Early in the year, Floyd put up two sacks in four weeks, and then managed 1.5 over the final 13 weeks of the season. While the pass rushing production wasn’t there—his pressure total per Pro Football Focus was his lowest since 2017 —he was useful enough against he run and occasionally in coverage to be a worthwhile member of the team’s rotation. The fact that his production came early when the rookies were either banged up or still getting their feet under them helped a great deal.
Given that he’ll be 34 years old in 2026 and his past three seasons show a small but clear pattern of decline, Floyd probably won’t be back unless he’s willing to play on a bargain deal. Having him as a veteran presence and durable, useful outside linebacker in 2025 still mattered a lot.
Arnold Ebiketie
As always, Ebiketie got stronger as the year went on. Unlike in past years, the opportunity was not there for him.
Ebiketie played a new career-low number of snaps in 2025 as he fell out of favor somewhat in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense. His 25 pressures in 384 snaps weren’t bad—Floyd had 36 in 460, for comparison’s sake—and Ebiketie tended to get more pressure when he received more snaps. But overall he managed just two sacks, was the clear fourth fiddle in this group, and had enough quietly disgruntled social media posts to conclude he’s probably gone.
I would welcome back Ebiketie because his run defense is good enough and his back half production strong enough that he’d be a valuable piece of the puzzle, but his reduction in playing time and clear desire to have a larger role will probably conspire to have him land elsewhere.
Khalid Kareem & DeAngelo Malone
Kareem had six pressures in 71 snaps, or a pressure every 12 snaps or so, and was solid against the run in his very limited playing time. He’s someone I want back as a bottom of the depth chart option, because he’s a useful player in limited doses. We don’t know—and probably won’t find out—what he could be with more.
Malone played just 19 snaps on defense and was quiet in 2025, but he was one of Marquice Williams’ core special teams player. With Williams out as special teams coordinator, Malone may not be back.
Outlook: Deeply uncertain
I’m very bullish on Walker, a player who was quietly very good in 2025 and put up 5.5 sacks as a rookie. I think we’re looking at a 7-10 sack player annually who also offers playmaking ability, strong work against the run, and enough promise in coverage to be an asset in every facet of his game. The fact that he’s just entering his second year and the Falcons have a fifth-year option means he should be here a long time, and may well be an elite defender well before that contract is up.
Everything else is deeply uncertain, as I said in the headline for this section. Pearce is almost certainly heading for a multi-week suspension
at best and a hefty prison sentence at worst, though the way his case winds through the legal system could determine whether he’s on the commissioner’s exempt list in Week 1 or suspended. It is within the realm of possibility that the Falcons will determine, either because of what happens in court or what comes out in the months ahead, that they don’t want Pearce on the team and will cut him. Regardless, it’s fair to expect the Falcons to be without Pearce for multiple weeks in 2026 and perhaps entirely.
Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that the Falcons don’t have a single other full-time outside linebacker/EDGE under contract right now, though they’ll use Zach Harrison and Brandon Dorlus there in some formations. Floyd would likely only return if he was quite cheap, given his modest production in 2025, and Ebiketie should be headed elsewhere after a quiet season and a diminished role under Jeff Ulbrich. That leaves Khalid Kareem as a beyond-obvious re-signing given his solid run defense and occasional pass rushing chops to be, say, the fourth or fifth guy there; perhaps you bring back DeAngelo Malone for his special teams work. You still need a legitimate second and third guy in the rotation for this group to not take a major step back in 2026.
With the many needs Atlanta has heading into free agency and the draft, it’s clear they can’t fix everything. But the potentially massive loss of pass rushing production that could come if the Falcons don’t have Pearce and can’t effectively replace their 2025 options could prove to be a fatal problem, so we’ll need to see a smart plan that doesn’t rely on faith and hope to not brace for problems.
