Falcons release former Pro-Bowler KhaDarel Hodge

The move will create nearly $2.7 million in cap space for the team.

Hodge joined the Falcons in 2022 and has been the team’s best special teams player ever since, receiving Pro Bowl honors in 2024. He was also a half-decent fourth or fifth receiver, recording 37 catches for 596 yards and two touchdowns over his four seasons in Atlanta.

In 2025, the Falcons might have featured the worst special teams unit in league history. Seemingly every game, there was a game-changing play allowed in the return game, and the team’s kicking woes also directly resulted in a few losses that should have been wins. There’s no question that, with just an average performance in the third phase, they would have broken their postseason drought, so it will certainly be an area of focus for Kevin Stefanski and this new staff.