Olamide Zaccheaus, who joined the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent four seasons with the team, is coming back home.
Per NFL inside Tom Pelissero, the Falcons are expected to land Zaccheaus in free agency, re-uniting him with 2022 teammate Drake London and former quarterback Matt Ryan, who is now the team’s president of football.
I won’t downplay how much I love this move, as Zaccheaus has long been a favorite of mine, even if it’s obviously not a transformative signing. The Virginia product went from a lightly-used rookie who still impressively made the roster as a UDFA to a key reserve and sometimes starter over four years in Atlanta, capping off his run with a 40 catch, 533 yards, three touchdown 2022 that showcased his ability out of the slot. Since then, OZ has turned in one quiet year with the Eagles and a couple of quality seasons with the Commanders (45 catches, 506 yards, three touchdowns) and Bears (39 catches, 313 yards, two touchdowns). He’s familiar with quite a few current Falcons, has long been lauded as a good teammate, and is capable, productive player who has played both in the slot and out wide and should fill the Falcons #3 receiver role well. The team still needs to get another outside threat—Drake London’s success working as a power slot demands that—but the Falcons didn’t have a credible third receiver basically all of last year. Assuming the contract isn’t exorbitant—and it won’t be—this is a fun signing and one that makes a ton of sense for Atlanta.
Zaccheaus’ speed and shiftiness also makes him occasionally interesting as a returner and rusher on gadget plays, allowing him to potentially fill multiple niches for a team strapped for resources and cap space.
Let’s welcome Zaccheaus back to the Falcons and hope he’s in for a career year with the team he broke into the NFL with.
