Photo by Atlantacitizen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe Falcons Paid Everyone. Nobody Earned It.
Four massive extensions totaling $358 million. Zero snaps under the new coaching staff. Atlanta just bet on the same roster that hasn't made the playoffs in eight years.
The Falcons just handed out $358 million in extensions to four offensive players. Not one of them has taken a snap under Kevin Stefanski.
Let that sit.
Bijan Robinson is now the highest-paid running back in NFL history. In 2026. When every analytics department in the league is screaming that running backs are replaceable. Matthew Bergeron has never cracked PFF's top-20 guards. Paid like the best one in football. Kyle Pitts has one season over 1,000 yards -- his rookie year. 2021. Paid like a top-3 tight end.
Drake London? Fine. He's earned the conversation. But the other three?
This is the same franchise that went through Arthur Smith, then Raheem Morris, and is now on its third head coach in six years. The pattern never changes: pay the guys, change the coach, pray it works.
Eight consecutive years without a playoff appearance. Eight. And the front office response is to guarantee $247 million to the same core that produced that drought.
I said it yesterday -- this organization loves the carousel. New coach, same riders. Stefanski hasn't even installed his playbook and the front office already told him these are his guys. No audition. No proving ground.
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
Bookmark this.
The Tilt
Same roster that missed playoffs eight straight years. Now $358M richer.
— Dex Ponce
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