Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons: Acquire Special Teams Standout for 2026

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Jackson Loschko | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 5:53 PM ET

The Atlanta Falcons needed to address their special teams struggles this offseason after ranking 31st in Sports Illustrated’s rankings. One area of concern was kickoff coverage, where Atlanta allowed the league’s highest average yards per kick return and one return touchdown, tied for the most in the league. The special teams took a massive hit after the Falcons released Pro Bowler KhaDarel Hodge in late February.

Atlanta Falcons acquire special teams standout for 2026

According to Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles have traded Sydney Brown , the 122nd and 215th overall picks, to the Atlanta Falcons for the 114th (fourth round) and 197th (sixth round) overall picks. He is an excellent special-teamer who excels as a gunner in punt coverage and is great in kickoff coverage, while also serving as depth behind Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts, logging 600 defensive snaps across nine starts in his first three years. The Falcons will inherit the final year of Brown’s rookie contract, essentially a one-year, $1.53 million deal.

A Falcons-Eagles trade, per ESPN sources:

Falcons and Eagles swapped fourth- and sixth-round picks, with Atlanta also acquiring S Sydney Brown.

Picks No. 114 and 197 to the Eagles in exchange for picks No. 122, 215 and Sydney Brown. pic.twitter.com/fTwhbF2DHZ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2026

Here’s a quick review of his 2025 campaign

Aug 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) in a game against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sydney Brown served as the third-string safety for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 and recorded the fourth-most snaps at the position. He recorded 34 tackles across 17 games, including three starts, accounting for 249 defensive snaps. Brown also posted 18 special teams tackles, the 16th most, while the Eagles’ special teams unit ranked 19th overall, including 16th in average yards per punt return and 4th in average yards per kick return.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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