Atlanta, GA
Falcons’ Matthew Judon, Justin Simmons Moves Proved Unsuccessful
The Atlanta Falcons made a pair of mid-August moves they thought would elevate a defense in need of upgrades.
On Aug. 14, Atlanta traded a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots for outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who totaled 32 sacks in his previous 39 games. The next day, the Falcons signed free agent safety Justin Simmons to a one-year deal.
Judon had been to four Pro Bowl games. Simmons was a second-team All-Pro four times. The two veterans seemed to be quality adds to a unit seeking help rushing the passer and limiting explosive plays on the back end.
But did they work out as Atlanta hoped? Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot isn’t sure after the team fell short of its playoff goal, finishing with an 8-9 record.
“When you add players at that point in their career — for us to make those decisions, we’re saying, ‘Okay, we’re in position to win the division and to make a run in the playoffs,’” Fontenot said. “And the fact that we’re not in the playoffs, then we’re not happy with the result of those decisions.
“That’s just natural.”
Simmons wrapped his first season in Atlanta with starts in all 16 games played. He collected 62 total tackles and a pair of interceptions while playing alongside All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III.
After the Falcons’ 44-38 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers, the 31-year-old Simmons said he hadn’t given much thought to what he’ll remember most about his time in Atlanta, but he knows he loves the city and organization — and he believes there are brighter days ahead for the team.
“I think things are trending in the right direction,” Simmons said Jan. 5. “There’s a lot of firsts here, but I’ve been a part of a lot of firsts in Denver, and I just feel like things are trending in the right direction. And there’s a lot to take away from it, man.
“But the locker room is unique, and there’s really great leadership here. And yeah, this place is in good hands.”
Judon, playing in a contract year, had an up-and-down season in Atlanta. He played in all 17 games with 15 starts, collecting 41 tackles, 5.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits. Four of his sacks came in the final seven games.
The 32-year-old Judon told Falcons on SI before Week 18 he felt like he and the team could have done more.
“Shit, a little bit, I feel like,” Judon said when asked what he proved about himself to the Falcons. “I just feel like, kind of, the season is the season. I wish we could have been in the playoffs and accomplished more.”
Perhaps nothing better summarizes the year of both Judon and Simmons — fair contributions, but not to the level they, or the Falcons, expected.
And for that, it’s fair to consider Atlanta’s moves in August as underwhelming and, ultimately, unsuccessful.
“That’s not saying anything against either one of those players specifically, Matt or Justin. I’m not saying anything negative about the coaching staff or anything,” Fontenot said. “But when you make those decisions, we believe that’s going to be a tipping point for us, and it wasn’t.”
ATLANTA – A Mexican national will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for operating clandestine methamphetamine laboratories across the Atlanta area, federal officials announced Wednesday.
What we know:
Ramiro Contreras-Sandoval, 41, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross following his conviction for running conversion labs that housed more than 135 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine hidden in paint buckets. Contreras-Sandoval, who also went by several aliases including Manuel Santiago Vazquez and “Mirin,” was also convicted of possessing firearms as an illegal alien to protect his drug trafficking operation.
The investigation began in April 2019, when law enforcement seized the methamphetamine mixture from a conversion lab in Morrow, Georgia. Contreras-Sandoval and his co-defendant, Genaro Davalos-Pulido, fled the area after a vehicle they were using to transport the drugs was stopped by police.
The pair remained at large until the fall of 2021, when agents tracked them to a neighborhood in Norcross, Georgia. During a search of a Norcross residence, agents discovered a full-scale liquid meth operation, a loaded Beretta handgun, $84,000 in cash, and a .50-caliber rifle that appeared ready for shipment to Mexico. Contreras-Sandoval was arrested nearby with approximately $12,000 in his vehicle and pockets.
What they’re saying:
“This case should send a clear message to anyone thinking about running drugs or using deadly weapons to protect their operation: the federal government will relentlessly seek justice and protect the community from drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
“Operating methamphetamine labs is a reckless and dangerous crime,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This conviction underscores that DEA will aggressively pursue anyone who engages in drug trafficking activities that put lives at risk.”
What’s next:
Contreras-Sandoval’s 30-year sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release. His co-defendant, Davalos-Pulido, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October 2024.
The Source: The U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office provided the details for this article.
Highlights include a musical from Alicia Keys, Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival, ‘Twelfth Night.’
The Lawrenceville Symphony Orchestra will perform works of Johann Strauss II and George Gershwin (featuring pianist Anna Keiserman) on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Lawrenceville Symphony Orchestra)
By Mary Caldwell – For the AJC
2 hours ago
From theater to music and dance to visual arts, the metro Atlanta area has a busy arts scene offering something for nearly everyone. This week, happenings include a Lawrenceville Symphony Orchestra performance featuring the iconic works of Johann Strauss II and George Gershwin as well as the second annual Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival. This weekly roundup will help you explore Atlanta’s arts and culture over the coming seven days.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” singer Alicia Keys’ autobiographical musical, continues at the Fox Theatre through Sunday. (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)
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New York storyteller Laura Sims leads workshops and performs stories on Saturday and Sunday during the Atlanta Jewish Storytelling Festival at The Breman. (Photo courtesy of The Breman)
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“The Family Album of Ralph Eugene Meatyard” is on view at the High Museum of Art through May 10. (Photo courtesy of the High Museum of Art)
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Sandler Hudson Gallery hosts “primary,” a solo exhibition featuring the works of Georgia artist Betsy Cain through Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Sandler Hudson Gallery)
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ATLANTA – New leadership is taking the helm at Atlanta City Hall as Council President Marci Collier Overstreet begins her term with a fresh slate of committee assignments for the new year.
Why you should care:
The appointments come at a high-stakes moment for the city’s chief policy-making board. Atlanta is preparing for a global spotlight in 2026, serving as a host city for the FIFA World Cup and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl College Football Playoff game.
What we know:
While Collier Overstreet reshuffled most of the council’s leadership, the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee remains under the direction of District 10 Councilwoman Andrea Boone. The influential committee oversees the police and fire departments, the Law Department and the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.
The remaining committee chairs for 2026 include:
- City Utilities: District 9 Councilman Dustin Hillis will oversee solid waste, sanitation, watershed and public works.
- Community Development and Human Services: Post 2 At-Large Councilman Matt Westmoreland will preside over parks and recreation, the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Entertainment and Nightlife.
- Transportation: District 6 Councilman Alex Wan will lead the committee dealing with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, MARTA and the Atlanta Regional Commission.
- Zoning: District 8 Councilwoman Mary Norwood will handle matters related to subdivisions, zoning and sign ordinances.
- Finance/Executive: District 1 Councilman Jason Winston will oversee contract compliance, human resources, finance and procurement.
- Committee on Council: District 3 Councilman Byron Amos will chair the committee presiding over council operations, the Office of Research and Policy and the Office of the Municipal Clerk.
The new president expressed confidence that this leadership team would ensure the city’s future remains inclusive.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report from Aungelique Proctor.
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