The Atlanta Falcons are still a few months away from the 2026 NFL regular season, but the team’s rookies are set to report for training camp in less than two weeks. Since the final stretch of summer before football season always seems to drag on, we’ve rounded up the latest news to get you through another day.
In today’s Falcons Wire Recap, Tua Tagovailoa’s former teammate weighs in on the team’s QB competition, Brandon Dorlus gets some love from The Athletic, Chris Lindstrom is ranked among the NFL’s best interior linemen, and Bleacher Report places Atlanta near the bottom of their latest power rankings.
Tagovailoa receives a vote of confidence from Dolphins OT
Dolphins offensive tackle Patrick Paul, who started all 17 games at offensive tackle in 2025, was asked how he thought Tagovailoa would fare in Atlanta while appearing on “The Set” with Terron Armstead. Paul praised Tua and predicted his former teammate would win the QB competition over Penix.
“I know he’s going to go in there and he’s definitely going to win that spot,” said Paul. “He’s a great player. So I’m definitely rooting for him. I know he’s going to bounce back from what was last year, and he’s going to do his thing over there.”
Brandon Dorlus deemed breakout candidate for 2026
Defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus has been selected as the Falcons’ breakout player for the 2026 NFL season in a new feature from The Athletic.
“Dorlus had six sacks and 22 quarterback pressures in his final eight games last season,” wrote The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “It was the type of jump the Falcons had been hoping for when they picked him in the fourth round in 2024, but it looked like it might never come. He only played 19 snaps as a rookie and then totaled 1.5 sacks in his first seven games last year.”
Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom praised in ESPN poll
The latest accolade for Lindstrom comes courtesy of ESPN, where he’s been voted one of the league’s 10-best interior offensive linemen by an anonymous poll of NFL executives. Lindstrom came in at No. 6 on their list after going unranked in 2025.
“The rep on Lindstrom used to be ‘great in the run game, average in the passing game.’ He has overcome that billing. And some around the league believe he can handle more than what’s required of him in Atlanta. “Athleticism and explosiveness — his size makes him somewhat of a specific scheme fit, but there really isn’t anyone who does a lot of the things that he can do,” an NFL coordinator said. ‘They never ask him to pull, but he would open some eyes if he did.'” – via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
Falcons land near bottom of NFL in power rankings
Bleacher Report isn’t very high on Atlanta ahead of the 2026 NFL season. In their latest pre-training camp power rankings, the Falcons were near the bottom of the league at No. 27.
“The Falcons have a terrific skill group led by Bijan Robinson, and their defense, which ranked 15th overall last season, has some legitimate playmakers. However, Atlanta enters training camp with the fourth-worst QB situation, at least until it proves otherwise,” wrote B/R’s Gary Davenport. ” The hope is that the impending battle between former first-round picks Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will yield a legitimate starter.”
Former Falcons exec takes job in Big Ten
Former Atlanta Falcons vice president for football communications David Bassity has been hired as the new senior vice president of communications for the Big Ten Conference. Bassity joined the Falcons prior to the 2019 NFL season and spent nearly seven years in Atlanta.
“We are excited to welcome David to the Big Ten Conference. David is a highly respected communications leader who has successfully guided organizations through moments of growth, change, and opportunity while building strong relationships across the media landscape. As college athletics continues to evolve, David’s strategic expertise and proven ability to shape and amplify compelling stories will be invaluable to Big Ten institutions, student-athletes, and communities.” – Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons Recap: Tua’s vote of confidence, Dorlus hype train rolls on
