For as much talk as there’s been about the Falcons needing to trade Kirk Cousins, Atlanta has focused on revamping their defense this offseason. They released Grady Jarrett in March and spent significant draft capital on two defenders in the 1st Round in April.
With an increased focus on getting younger on defense, the top player contract to watch for the Falcons is not Kirk Cousins, but David Onyemata, writes Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Atlanta Urged to Consider Releasing David Onyemata
The much-maligned Falcons pass rush needs to take a leap forward this season. In 3 of the last 4 seasons, Atlanta has ranked near the bottom of the league in both sacks and pressure rate, according to Pro Football Reference.
The only exception was in 2023, when Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree led the way with 6.5 sacks each. Unfortunately, they both spent just that one season in Atlanta. After their departures, the Falcons dropped back down near the bottom of the league last year.
The Falcons are banking on their development to drag a struggling pass rush up toward the league average. While Atlanta could benefit from Onyemata’s veteran presence, Kendall believes the Falcons may decide to cut ties with him.
“Onyemata has the third-highest cap hit on the roster this year ($16.9 million) and the Falcons could get $10 million of cap room by releasing him,” wrote Kendall. Kendall acknowledged that it “would be a very risky move,” considering they’ve already cut ties with veteran Grady Jarrett. But, he noted that “Atlanta’s new staff has shown a string desire to get younger and more athletic on defense.”
Onyemata Named Falcons’ ‘Most Underrated Player’ by PFF Less Than 2 Months Ago
Despite being urged to consider releasing Onyemata, the 9-year veteran played well during his first 2 seasons in Atlanta. He’s recorded 95 tackles (14 for loss) and 7 sacks with the Falcons, while playing over 1,100 snaps.
Including the playoffs, Onyemata has played over 5,300 defensive snaps during his career. He’s proven to be “one of the more reliable players at his position in recent years,” according to PFF’s Jonathon Macri back on May 14th. Macri praised Onyemata’s durability and run-stopping skills, labeling him as the Falcons’ “most underrated player” heading into 2025.
“Since joining the Falcons in 2023, Onyemata owns the 14th-best PFF run-defense grade (73.1) and the 21st-best PFF overall grade (77.7) among qualifying players at his position,” Macri wrote.
While his performance slipped in 2024, Onyemata could still return to his production from 2020 and 2022 in New Orleans. Granted, he won’t be playing next to Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson this year. But, if rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. can generate some pressure, Onyemata could experience a resurgence.
Unfortunately, the Falcons are near the bottom in terms of cap space this year and in 2026, according to Spotrac. Even though Onyemata is in a great position to mentor their rookie pass rushers, he may become a cap casualty.
$10 million is a lot for a team as cash-strapped as the Falcons. Despite his production, that may be too enticing to pass up for a team that’s got 2 pass rushers under team control for 4 years. That’s just the business of football.
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