The Atlanta Falcons resumed practice at their Flowery Branch facility on Monday, following a 23-20 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans. The atmosphere was quieter than in previous weeks, with no fans present and fewer players on the field after joint practices ended.
“It’s like a transition period,” said head coach Raheem Morris. “No fans. No team. Back to us, really going out and focusing on what we do and getting better.”
Morris addressed the media before practice, providing updates on player absences and injuries. Wide receivers Darnell Mooney (shoulder), KhaDarel Hodge, Ray-Ray McCloud III; running back Carlos Washington Jr. (hamstring); inside linebackers Malik Verdon (Non-Football Injury list) and Troy Andersen (Physically Unable to Perform list); offensive lineman Storm Norton (lower body); edge rusher Khalid Kareem (groin); and defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham (calf) were not dressed for practice. Hodge and McCloud’s absences were unexpected.
Cornerback Natrone Brooks stood out during 11-on-11 drills by intercepting quarterback Kirk Cousins’ pass intended for wide receiver Jesse Matthews, then running it back to the end zone in celebration. Brooks also recorded an interception against the Titans—the only one by a Falcons player so far this preseason.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson discussed his approach to calling plays in 2025: “I go back and forth. Sometimes, when you scrimmage and you do some of these things on the field, you can kind of wonder what it would be like, but our communication has been so strong last year with where everybody was at. Obviously we have all the same coaches back, so we’ll see where it goes. But yeah, I’ll kind of make that decision when it comes.” Last season, Robinson called plays from the booth.
During Monday’s two-hour session—open only to media—quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins, and Easton Stick took reps in 11-on-11 drills. Penix completed 10 of 17 passes; Cousins completed eight of 10; Stick went one-for-three.
Wide receiver Drake London improved his connection with Penix as practice progressed, making three catches after four early incompletions. One catch came despite tight coverage near the sideline.
Cousins found tight end Feleipe Franks for a touchdown in red-zone work; Franks dove past inside linebacker Divine Deablo to secure the score.
Edge rusher Jalon Walker participated in individual drills but did not take part in team periods after missing time with a groin injury last week.
DeAngelo Malone continued cross-training at both inside linebacker and edge positions during practice.
On defense, Xavier Watts worked primarily with starting safety Jessie Bates III among first-team players during team drills. Jordan Fuller and DeMarcco Hellams took most second-team reps; Hellams wore a yellow non-contact pinnie alongside cornerback Billy Bowman Jr., whose reason for limited contact was unclear.
Wide receiver Jamal Agnew returned after missing joint practices due to an oblique injury described by Morris as “oblique-esque.” Morris added: “We got to see what that is and how we get through that to find out whether he can be our return guy or not.” On Monday’s punt returns, Agnew was joined by cornerback Mike Hughes and running back Elijah Dotson.
At kicker, veteran Younghoe Koo appears ahead of rookie Lenny Krieg for now: “Koo has got some emotional bank accounts with me, and I’ll just leave it at that,” Morris said. Both kickers made all their attempts Monday from various distances up to 60 yards for Krieg and 58 yards for Koo.
Cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. briefly left team drills after appearing to tweak his lower body but returned soon after without issue.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich ran sprints post-practice with several players including Bates and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.
New signings Ben DiNucci (quarterback) practiced fully while Ronnie Perkins (edge rusher) observed from the sideline without pads.
All statistics reported are unofficial and not provided by the team.
The next Falcons practice open to media will be Wednesday at IBM Performance Field. The regular season opener is scheduled for September 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
