Falcons Make Unexpected Signing in Wake of Super Bowl

With Super Bowl 59 officially in the rearview mirror, the Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the NFL are working on preparing for the offseason and 2025 season. The Falcons did not make it to the playoffs after losing their last two games.

However, it allowed them to get a head start toward putting together their 90-man roster for the 2025 campaign. The Falcons signed 18 players to reserve/future contracts, which means they will get to compete for a roster spot in training camp and preseason.

Among their 18 signings, the Falcons added an intriguing offensive lineman with a diverse football background on Wednesday. According to Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney, the team announced it had signed offensive tackle Kilian Zierer to reserve/future deal. 

The 24-year-old lineman wasn’t offered a reserve/future by the Houston Texans when their season ended after the divisional round. The former Auburn lineman spent the entire 2024 season with the Texans after signing with them following the 2024 NFL Draft.

Zierer is a native of Munich, Germany, and was selected in the second round of the CFL Global Draft by the Edmonton Elks in 2023. Zierer didn’t play any games with the Elks, but in college, he made 16 starts (21 games) across two seasons at Auburn.

If you are Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, this is a low-risk, high-reward signing to see if Zierer can make the 53-man roster or practice squad this summer. As we saw in the Super Bowl, you can’t have too much offensive line depth.

At 6-foot-7, 312 pounds, the Falcons coaches will look to see if Zierer has any skills that can help him get on the field. According to 3DownNation.com, they had Zierer as their second-best prospect in the 2023 CFL Global Draft.

"A mountainous blocker from Munich, Zierer started every game at left tackle for the Tigers in 2022. He possesses impressive athleticism for a big man and effectively uses his 83-inch wingspan to run rushers wide around the arc. However, the former three-star recruit struggles to bend and lacks the play strength to displace opponents in the run game. Zierer was projected as a Day 3 selection in the NFL due to his size and quick feet but went undrafted and signed with the Houston Texans, making him a potential futures pick for a CFL club."

- JC Abbott of 3DownNation.com

It's clear the Falcons see something in Zierer. We'll see if he can put it all together this offseason and become one of those minicamp players to watch out for.

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