One of the biggest losses to the Atlanta Falcons' defense in the 2026 offseason was the departure of Kaden Elliss in free agency. Making matters all the more painful for the Falcons was his decision to sign with the hated New Orleans Saints. New Orleans handed Elliss a three-year, $33 million contract, a number that clearly pushed the linebacker to make a decision he should be starting to regret as the offseason has continued.
Elliss is leaving an Atlanta defense that was second in the league in sacks in the 2025 season. It is hard to envision the Saints having the same success, especially with an incredibly underwhelming offense, and New Orleans lacks the cap space or draft picks to make the needed improvements to push the franchise into contender status.
Not since Drew Brees and Sean Payton departed the franchise have the Saints been considered an actual player in the NFC. While the same could be said about the Falcons in recent years, the franchise does have impressive pass-rushing talent and understands how to get the best out of Elliss. As the defender sits back and takes in the offseason reality, it is setting in that he left a great situation for a payday that has him firmly locked into the NFC South basement.
Kaden Elliss Should Already be Regretting Offseason Decision to Sign with New Orleans
Elliss has put himself in a situation not only where he will be asked to do more, but also to improve upon his production while playing for what is becoming a consistent doormat of a franchise. This isn't something Atlanta fans will mind, as the franchise never takes it kindly after players jump from the ATL to New Orleans. There is a special kind of hate between the two teams, and a willingness not to play into this rivalry during free agency doesn't play well in the Atlanta fanbase.
While this isn't likely among concerns Elliss is considering, the defender has to be feeling at least a tinge of regret for the situation he has put himself in. It would have been far better to take a slightly cheaper deal to join a contender. Getting every dollar possible in free agency is completely understandable, but it has also set Elliss up for 2026 failure and put the veteran with a franchise that isn't going to utilize the defender as capably as Atlanta.
So much of what Elliss did well was rushing the passer and being a part of creative blitzes that Atlanta defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich would cook up. The Falcons did this in part due to the liability that Elliss could be in coverage, giving up a passer rating of 106.9 in 175 pass coverage snaps.
This is a shortcoming the Saints will soon discover, and Elliss will be put under fire for not being an instant fix for a losing franchise. No question, the linebacker made a mistake and should continue to realize this heading into the 2026 season.