Terry Fontenot’s 2025 Draft Class Could Be His Lifeline Amid Falcons’ Playoff Drought
Since the Atlanta Falcons hired Terry Fontenot, there has been plenty of missed opportunity. While his track record early in the draft is stellar, his roster management and success rate on Day 2 and Day 3 picks have left a lot to be desired, which is why is job security is starting to come into question.
As the Dirty Birds brace for their eighth consecutive season without a playoff appearance, it's becoming even harder for Arthur Blank to justify retaining the fifth-year general manager. However, the rousing success of Atlanta's 2025 NFL Draft class might have just bought Fontenot another year.
Despite the Falcons sitting at 4-7, the 44-year-old GM has a real chance to stick around in Atlanta for a third head coach now. Three of the four rookies he drafted lead all rookies in a defensive statistic, which has spearheaded an impressive defensive turnaround under first-year DC Jeff Ulbrich.
Falcons' 2025 NFL Draft class could be what saves Terry Fontenot's job
The selections of perennial Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker have helped revitalize the pass-rush, Xavier Watts has quietly shined at safety, and Billy Bowman Jr. shined out of the nickel before his season ended prematurely due to a torn Achilles.
Walker leads all rookies in sacks, Pearce leads all rookies in pressure rate, and Watts leads all rookies in interceptions. That's no small feat for a defense that was among the worst in the NFL last season, as it took Fontenot just four picks to silence all of the doubts about bolstering a putrid pass-rush.
Ulbrich's defense has shattered franchise sack records across the last few weeks, and that has made the secondary's job easier. Watts picked off Tyler Shough in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Saints while Pearce logged a team-high 1.5 sacks in Week 12 as the defense managed to sack Shough five times.
The only true first-round disappointment Fontenot has drafted was Kyle Pitts, and even he's still had a respectable NFL career. However, he followed that up by drafting Drake London and Bijan Robinson in the first round of back-to-back drafts, which makes the sting of Pitts' struggles go down far easier.
As impressive as Pearce has been, the decision to trade Atlanta's 2026 first-round pick to move up for the 21-year-old was met with widespread criticism. However, his role in the quarterback mismanagement could do him in, but the fact that his rookie class is impressing is giving fans plenty of optimism going forward.
Joe Burrow Returns with a Bang, Leads Bengals to Dominant Thanksgiving Win Over Ravens
Joe Burrow stepped back into an NFL huddle for the first time since September and immediately reminded the Cincinnati Bengals what they had been missing. His first touchdown throw — a layered ball dropped into a tight window for Andrei Iosivas — delivered a jolt of emotion and signaled a long-awaited turning point for a Cincinnati team that spent two months fighting uphill without its franchise quarterback. By the end of Thursday night, Burrow had logged two touchdown passes, Cincinnati had forced five turnovers, and the Bengals walked out of M&T Bank Stadium with an emphatic 32–14 win that halted their four-game skid.
Burrow Settles In After Slow Start
Burrow’s return offered the payoff to a rehab process that began after turf toe surgery in mid-September. He admitted his footwork felt “antsy” early, which showed in a first half where Cincinnati repeatedly reached the red zone but failed to finish drives. Yet the rhythm shifted after halftime. Burrow completed 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards, worked comfortably outside the pocket, and even surprised himself with his mobility while wearing a carbon-fiber plate in his left cleat.
His breakthrough moment arrived midway through the third quarter. Facing another stalled drive, Burrow lofted a back-corner throw toward tight end Tanner Hudson, who made a stunning one-handed grab for a 14-yard score. Minutes later, Burrow delivered a perfectly placed ball over zone coverage to Iosivas, extending Cincinnati’s lead and energizing an offense that had lacked vertical confidence in his absence.
“There’s no better feeling than putting in the work for that long and watching it pay off,” Burrow said afterward, reflecting on a six-year stretch that has demanded as much recovery as success.
Defense Answers the Challenge
While Burrow’s return commanded the spotlight, Cincinnati’s defense produced its most disruptive performance of the season. Entering the holiday matchup ranked last in the league in points allowed, the Bengals flipped the script by forcing five turnovers and repeatedly derailing Baltimore’s rhythm.
Joseph Ossai set the tone with two sacks, including a strip-sack of Lamar Jackson deep in Ravens territory. Baltimore’s issues only grew from there. Tight end Isaiah Likely lost a potential touchdown when Jordan Battle punched the ball out just before the goal line. Jackson fumbled again before halftime on an unforced error, and later threw a deflected interception to Demetrius Knight Jr. that stopped another Ravens drive.
The Ravens finished 17-of-32 through the air, and despite a strong early run by Derrick Henry, Baltimore failed to recover from its early mistakes. Cincinnati converted the chaos into six Evan McPherson field goals while controlling the second half with poise rarely seen during Burrow’s absence.
Cincinnati’s Offense Regains Identity
Much of Cincinnati’s offensive clarity returned when Burrow rediscovered his rapport with Ja’Marr Chase, who eclipsed 100 receiving yards before the third quarter ended. The Bengals played with better spacing, attacked Baltimore’s linebackers in coverage, and trusted Burrow to extend plays. His eight on-the-move throws — six completions for 55 yards and a touchdown — signaled that his toe had responded far better than expected.
The Bengals had cycled through Jake Browning and veteran Joe Flacco during Burrow’s recovery, but neither option provided the same structural command. On Thursday, Cincinnati’s offense finally operated with its original confidence, even after early misfires inside the 2-yard line.
A Needed Win With a Difficult Road Ahead
At 4–8, Cincinnati’s postseason margin remains thin. Yet the performance reignited optimism that the Bengals can mount another second-half push with their franchise centerpiece back behind center. For Burrow, the night represented both a personal benchmark and the culmination of weeks spent rebuilding his stability step-by-step.
“I’ve worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there,” Burrow said. “A lot of people did the same. I’m proud to be back.”
Cincinnati will need that version of Burrow the rest of the way, especially with the AFC North tightening and the schedule offering little relief. But on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore, the Bengals rediscovered the team they believed they could still be — and the quarterback capable of dragging them there.
