With Atlanta’s special teams off to a forgettable start to the 2026 season, they’ve added a veteran linebacker to hopefully help their coverage and return units. That would be former Viking and Bengal Brian Asamoah.
Asamoah, 26, had a solid rookie season as a defender in limited opportunities
but has been a complete non-factor on that side of the ball in three seasons since, piling up just 70 total snaps on D from 2023 to 2025. Over that same span, he has nearly 600 special teams snaps and has been a solid tackler and useful blocker who was instrumental in paving the way for a 98 yard Charlie Jones kickoff return touchdown for the Bengals last year. He’ll likely be active on gameday for those attributes alone, as the Falcons are quite stacked at linebacker—Divine Deablo, Harold Perkins Jr., and Kendal Daniels are all off to strong starts, and Josh Woods is a capable reserve—and Asamoah has not played well there since 2022.
It’s not difficult to figure out why the Falcons felt the need to make a move. While Brian Robinson is a capable kick returner and Zachariah Branch a potentially dynamic punt returner, both have had early miscues that overshadowed the inconsistent blocking they’ve gotten thus far. Things have been worrying in coverage, as well, as the Falcons have avoided any catastrophic mistakes but also have nine missed tackles through just three games, led by Mike Ford with three. While Asamoah never became the starting-caliber linebacker the Vikings were hoping to get when they drafted him in the third round, there’s little question he can be a sure tackler and blocker on teams.
Give him a warm welcome, if you would, and we’ll see if he’s active for Monday Night Football.
