While we wait for Bijan Robinson to get his mega deal, the Atlanta Falcons are still busy locking up their own. The latest contract is for Matthew Bergeron, who was heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
Bergeron, selected 38th in 2023, was clearly held in high regard by the incoming coaching staff and new offensive line coach Bill Callahan. The 26-year-old has been the starter at left guard continuously since his rookie season in 2023, starting and appearing in 49 of 51 possible games while
grading out as an above average starter in 2024 and 2025. Last year, Bergeron was only blamed for one sack, per Pro Football Focus, and his 28 total pressures allowed were far less than Chris Lindstrom, Jake Matthews, and (obviously) Elijah Wilkinson gave up. His run blocking grade, meanwhile, was third on the team behind Lindstrom and Ryan Neuzil and 16th among NFL guards with at least 200 snaps.
Bergeron is both experienced enough and durable enough for the team to feel good about relying on and young enough to still reach greater heights, even if he has yet to be an elite player for longer than a few games at a time.
Fellow starting guard Chris Lindstrom got a 5 year, $105 million deal with $62.7 million guaranteed back in 2023, so Bergeron’s hefty raise is a reflection of rising valuations and cap space since then. It’s likely to strike more than a few Falcons fans as an overpay, but the Falcons very clearly viewed Bergeron’s signing as a major priority. Per Tori McElhaney at AtlantaFalcons.com:
“Matthew is the type of player you build around,” Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said. “He’s establishing himself as one of the top young guards in the NFL, and his toughness, consistency and leadership have made him a cornerstone of our offensive line and the culture we’re building in Atlanta.”
That’s a strong endorsement, and clear proof that Kevin Stefanski and Bill Callahan wanted him to be a key piece of the offensive line. With uncertainty at right tackle and Jake Matthews aging at left tackle, the Falcons at least have stability and genuine talent at guard for the next few seasons.
Now the next move is getting a deal done with Bijan, the man Bergeron is here to pave the way for. The Falcons will have a lot of money tied up into a handful of key offensive linemen and position players when the summer is over, and all of these players will need to be great in 2026 for an offense with question marks at quarterback to excel. That’s clearly both the hope and the plan for Atlanta.
Congratulations to Bergeron, and may he and the Falcons offense reach new heights in 2026.
