Three Atlanta Falcons Players to Watch During NFL Awards

The Atlanta Falcons finished the season 8-9 and missed the postseason for the eighth consecutive year, but that doesn’t mean the season was a disappointment across the board. Despite the team’s struggles, four Falcons stood out enough to be named finalists for league awards, which will be announced Thursday night at the NFL Honors ahead of Super Bowl 60 on Sunday.

Atlanta has three finalists for two awards: Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The Offensive Player of the Year award is as simple as it sounds. It’s given to the best offensive player in the league in a particular season. Running back Bijan Robinson is the Falcon in play for this prestigious award, competing against Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Robinson led the entire league in yards from scrimmage with 2,298 total yards, over 170 more yards than second-place McCaffrey. It is the 12th most yards from scrimmage in a single season in NFL history, and the most of any player in the last six seasons, with Robinson outgaining Saquon Barkley’s legendary 2024 season (in which he won offensive player of the year) by 15 yards.

Robinson had seven games this season with 150 or more scrimmage yards; no other player in the NFL had more than four. His 93-yard rushing touchdown against the Rams in Week 17 stood as the longest run of the 2025 season, and his 81-yard score against the Bills was the third longest.

Defensive Rookie of the Year is given to the best rookie defender in the league in a given season. This year, the Falcons have not one but two contenders for the award: edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and safety Xavier Watts. They will be competing against Giants linebacker/edge rusher Abdul Carter, Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori and Browns linebacker Carson Scheswinger.

Defensively, Pearce had 10.5 sacks, nearly doubling the total of the second-place finisher, fellow Falcon Jalon Walker, with 5.5. It was the most sacks in a season by a rookie since Micah Parsons 13.0 in 2021.

Pearce also tied Parsons for the second most consecutive games with a sack by a rookie in NFL history, accomplishing the feat in six straight games.

Watts' five interceptions not only led all rookies, but were tied for the second most in the NFL. The only player with more interceptions than Watts was Bears safety Kevin Byard with seven.

He became the first defender since 2017 to have 60 or more tackles and three or more interceptions in their rookie season, joining teammate Jessie Bates as the only players to achieve this feat in the last eight seasons

Lastly, there are 32 nominees, one from each team, for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, an honor that recognizes a player’s excellence on the field as well as their off-the-field dedication to community impact. The winner receives up to $250,000 in donations to the charity of their choice. 

Atlanta’s nominee for the award is cornerback A.J. Terrell.

While the Falcons' playoff drought continued, they will be well represented at Thursday night’s NFL honors. Atlanta has the talent to compete, and with a revamped front office now in place, that talent could finally translate into a postseason push in 2026. In the meantime, three Atlanta standouts have a chance to be recognized tonight, with the opportunity to take home some serious hardware for their standout 2025 seasons. 

More From Atlanta Falcons on SI