NOW OR NEVER: Did Atlanta Falcons Paying Kyle Pitts & Bergeron FORCE a 2026 Playoffs or Bust Year?

Atlanta Falcons face a make-or-break 2026: can their locked-in core finally deliver a playoff berth, or is another year of déjà vu and quarterback purgatory looming? Host Aaron Freeman warns that after paying big contracts to Kyle Pitts and Matthew Bergeron, there’s no turning back, where anything short of the postseason, or securing a high draft pick for a true franchise quarterback, spells trouble for this regime. Fresh roster moves add urgency, with Jawaan Taylor returning at right tackle and Cam Sample joining a defensive line that could shift to a 4-3 scheme. The discussion highlights Bijan Robinson and Drake London’s proven value, skepticism around repeating failed quarterback fixes, and why next year’s draft class might be Atlanta’s last best shot at landing a star signal-caller. Will the Falcons finally break their cycle of mediocrity, or is the window for real change closing fast? #atlantafalcons #nfl #trainingcamp  #bijanrobinson #drakelondon #kylepitts #matthewbergeron #nfldraft #tuatagovailoa #michaelpenixjr #kevinstefanski #iancunningham #jawaantaylor #camsample #treysermon #jacknelson Photo Credit: Dale Zanine, Brett Davis - Imagn Images Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-falcons/ Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nfl Become a Locked On Falcons Insider for in-depth analysis every day! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonfalcons Join our Discord server! https://discord.gg/lockedonfalcons Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonfalcons.supercast.com/  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!  KALSHI  For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10.  Square  Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/lockedonnfl! #squarepod  Gametime  Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.  Indeed  Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.  FanDuel  Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at https://sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit https://FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit https://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit https://ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.