The Atlanta Falcons have taken a cautious approach this offseason, which was essentially their only option due to a lack of salary cap space and draft capital. While the Falcons added six players in the 2026 NFL Draft, they won’t be paying out a ton of money since their highest pick was No. 48 overall.
In terms of free agency spending, the team made several depth additions. The Falcons signed over a dozen players, targeting several veterans with starting experience while keeping their spending under control. Even quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is only getting the veteran minimum this season.
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts signed his franchise tag, which takes up $15,045,000 this season. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson received the most money of the team’s free agent class, but according to Over The Cap, he will only cost around $5 million against the cap in 2026.
So, how much cap space will the Falcons have after signing their 2026 NFL Draft class?
Falcons salary cap space: $19,117,655
- Effective cap space: $17,348,275
The Falcons have a little over $17 million in effective cap space, which is the amount after signing at least 51 players and their draft class to the roster. The team isn’t exactly flush with cash, but there’s enough money to sign a free agent or two.
Falcons dead money total: $43,860,329
- Kirk Cousins: $22,500,000
- Darnell Mooney: $11,000,000
- Kaleb McGary: $3,000,000
- David Onyemata: $2,425,000
- Ruke Orhorhoro: $2,015,864
- Younghoe Koo: $1,250,000
- Morgan Fox: $750,000
- KhaDarel Hodge: $625,000
The Falcons are paying over $43 million to eight different players. Trading defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro added over $2 million in dead money, but nobody is taking up more than Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins ($22.5 million). Former Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney is second on the list with $11 million in dead money followed by right tackle Kaleb McGary ($3 million).
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons salary cap: Post-draft cap numbers, dead money