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5 Falcons Who Won't Return in 2025 With Season Officially Over

These five Atlanta Falcons players won't be on the team in 2025.

By Richard Louis

Dec 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon (15) rushes the passer against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon (15) rushes the passer against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The 2025 offseason is finally here. Super Bowl LIX is over so the focus is all about next season. The Atlanta Falcons went 8-9 in their first season under Raheem Morris.

This roster has some cornerstone pieces with some young, exciting players around them. Despite that to build off of, there were a couple of extremely underwhelming players. Below we'll discuss five Falcons who won't return in 2025.

1. Matthew Judon, LB

The Falcons pass rush was a massive letdown in 2024. They were 31st in team sacks (31), which was disappointing considering they traded for linebacker Matthew Judon in August.

They coughed up a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for Judon to improve that area of weakness. Instead of bolstering the pass rush, the 32-year-old was a massive bust. He recorded 41 total tackles, seven TFLs, and 5.5 sacks.

Granted, he was coming off a torn biceps but the Grand Valley State product looked like a shell of himself. Per PFF, Judon tallied a 43.9 overall grade (194th among 211 edge defenders), a 53.9 pass-rush grade (161st among 211 edge defenders), and a 53.6 run-defense grade (160th among 211 edge defenders).

This season, Judon notched 25 pressures and 16 QB hurries. In 2022 when he played 17 games for the New England Patriots, Judon had 69 total pressures and 38 QB hurries.

He doesn't look like the same player and the Falcons could be better off letting him walk in free agency. Judon will turn 33 years old in August and Atlanta likely won't offer a deal to a player who just struggled the season prior.

They would be better off using those funds to sign another pass-rusher in free agency while using the NFL Draft as an outlet to improve this pass rush.

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