The Atlanta Falcons added some big names to their roster during the 2024 NFL offseason, but signing good players costs money. After trading for Matthew Judon and signing safety Justin Simmons, the team had a cap deficit of nearly $1 million.
However, Falcons fans need not worry because general manager Terry Fontenot performed his usual brand of salary cap magic. According to a report from Spotrac, the team converted $11.25 million of safety Jessie Bates’ salary into a signing bonus.
This move would create $7.5 million in cap space, bringing Atlanta’s cap total to roughly $6.8 million heading into Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team still only has 52 players on the active roster, which could be an indication that another move is coming.
The #Falcons converted $11.25M of Jessie Bates' 2024 salary into signing bonus, freeing up $7.5M of cap space for the upcoming season.
Atlanta now gets cap compliant, heading into Week 1 with around $6.8M of room to work with.https://t.co/vOXvLwMTU8
— Spotrac (@spotrac) September 4, 2024
Bates signed a four-year, $64 million deal with Atlanta last offseason and the results were impressive. Bates led the Falcons defense with a career-high six interceptions. The secondary should be even better this season with the addition of Simmons.
Atlanta recently gave cornerback A.J. Terrell a four-year, $81 million extension, and Kyle Pitts could be next on the list if the fourth-year tight end produces this season. Pitts was limited at Wednesday’s practice due to a hamstring injury, but head coach Raheem Morris wasn’t overly concerned about it.
The Falcons will host the Steelers this Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The team released its first regular-season depth chart on Tuesday. Check back Wednesday afternoon for the team’s first Week 1 injury report.
