Atlanta, GA
Falcons Starting LB Limited, DB Simmons ‘Full Go’ in Practice Before Steelers Game
When the Atlanta Falcons started practice Monday at IBM Performance Field in Flowery Branch, Ga., they did so with one defensive starter fully participating — and one in a restricted role.
Third-year inside linebacker Nate Landman had “limitations” in Monday’s session, according to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who met with reporters after practice. Landman, a 14-game starter last season, has dealt with a quad injury for the past two weeks.
In 2023, his first year of extended playing time, Landman logged 110 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks across 16 games. He’s expected to rotate with fellow third-year pro Troy Andersen next to Kaden Elliss at inside linebacker this fall.
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Joining Landman as a bystander Monday was practice squad tight end John FitzPatrick, who suffered an undisclosed injury this preseason and is still dealing with the lingering effects entering Week 1.
“Other than that, we’re doing pretty good,” Morris said.
That sentiment includes safety Justin Simmons, who had his most active practice since signing with the Falcons on Aug. 15. Simmons, a four-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection, had been a free agent since March and faced a hastened ramp-up period upon arrival.
Around one week ago, Morris estimated Simmons was doing 50 to 75 percent of Atlanta’s practice activities. On Monday, Simmons left no drill undone.
“Simmons did everything full today that was asked of him,” Morris said. “Had a full-go status. He did everything today.”
The Falcons will enter Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers close to full health. They lost receiver Rondale Moore and rookie outside linebacker Bralen Trice to season-ending knee injuries during joint practices and the preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, respectively.
Safety DeMarcco Hellams also went down in Miami, sustaining an ankle injury that will cause him to miss “significant time,” according to Morris. Hellams is, however, expected to be back this season.
But apart from the “unfortunate days” against the Dolphins, as Morris phrased it, the Falcons’ roster and performance staff have done well this summer.
“I feel great about that,” Morris said. “I feel like we threw a really well-done performance, training camp, in how we wanted to get it done — the amount of reps we were able to get, the amount of stress we were able to cause, the stress and rest all equaling out.
“Really fired up where we are from an injury standpoint.”
Atlanta hosts Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta, GA
Where do the Atlanta Falcons pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Atlanta Falcons do not have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and they currently don’t have a general manager to make the selection. Team owner Arthur Blank dismissed both head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot following the team’s 8-9 finish.
While the Falcons didn’t make the playoffs this season, Fontenot’s bold draft day trade for James Pearce Jr. paid off in a big way. Pearce finished with 10.5 sacks, leading all rookies, and the Falcons went from having the NFL’s second-worst pass rush to having the No. 2 unit with 57 sacks in 2025.
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As for the pick that Atlanta sent to Los Angeles in the Pearce trade, it will officially land at 13th overall. But what about the team’s other picks? Check out the Falcons’ current selections in the 2026 NFL Draft below.
Atlanta Falcons: List of picks in 2026 NFL Draft
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Round 2 (Projected pick No. 48)
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Round 3 (Projected pick No. 79)
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Round 4 (Projected pick No. 114)
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Round 6 (Projected pick No. 197)
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Round 7 (Projected pick No. 231)
Not only did Pearce lead all rookies with 10.5 sacks, but former third-round pick Xavier Watts led the 2025 draft class with five interceptions. The Falcons will have to find some more mid-round gems in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Atlanta Falcons picks in each round
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta weather: Foggy Monday morning, warming trend ahead
Sunday evening forecast
Expect above-normal temperatures to start the week out. The FOX 5 Storm Team is tracking the arrival of the next cold front. Here’s the latest.
ATLANTA – Winter’s roller-coaster temperatures are climbing back up the hill this week, with another drop expected next week.
Patchy fog could affect the start of the workweek across parts of north and central Georgia, followed by a rapid warmup that may push temperatures close to record levels before a sharp cooldown by the weekend, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team.
How warm will it get this week?
By the numbers:
Monday is expected to look similar to Sunday, with filtered sunshine and mild temperatures. “Tomorrow looks very similar to today’s, mostly sunny, a bit mild,” FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Greg Majewski said, with highs generally in the low to mid-60s.
The warming trend strengthens as the week continues. Overnight lows will rise into the 40s and near 50, followed by daytime highs climbing into the upper 60s and low 70s by midweek. “The trend is going to be going upward here for the week,” Majewski said.
Several days in the 70s are possible, bringing temperatures close to record territory. “We’re hitting the 70s here three days in a row,” he said. “This is going to get awfully close to the record high.”
Rain chances remain limited early in the week, though Majewski said a weak boundary could bring “a couple of isolated showers” late Tuesday. More meaningful rain is expected later in the week as a stronger system approaches.
By Friday night into Saturday, showers and thunderstorms could move through the area, followed by a dramatic cooldown. “Here comes the rain coming in on Friday, kind of late,” Majewski said, adding that colder air will move in behind the system.
How cold will it get this weekend?
What’s next:
Temperatures are expected to fall sharply by Sunday. “Boom. 51, 37,” Majewski said. “Much colder Sunday.”
That cold snap could bring another return to winterlike mornings early next week. “That means that Monday morning we’ll probably see the twenties back in here yet again,” he said. “So the roller-coaster ride of our winter continues here across Georgia.”
The Source: This article contains an original forecast by the FOX 5 Storm Team. The National Weather Service contributed to this report.
Atlanta, GA
Braves News: NBP pieces falling into place, slow market, more
Well the NBP posted players all seem to be settled now, with Imai and Okamoto having signed with an MLB club and Takahashi returning to the NBP. Those players do not seem to have sparked movement in the overall market, either in free agency or in trades, at least so far, as this offseason continues to be glacial. Hopefully things pick up a bit as we get more separation from the holidays. The Braves still seem to be motivated to make a big addition, but this front office has shown that the right deal has to be there for them to pull the trigger.
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