The Atlanta Falcons, like every other team in the NFL, have trimmed their roster down to 53 players in preparation for the upcoming 2026 campaign. There are still a lot of question marks on the Falcons’ roster, but in the wide-open NFC South division, it feels like anything could happen this year.
Even with their aforementioned question marks, Atlanta’s front office had some tough decisions to make when it came to constructing its 53-man roster. Perhaps one of the toughest pills to swallow, though, was seeing former third-round pick Bralen Trice get cut without ever taking the field for the Falcons in a regular-season game.
Falcons Release Defensive End Bralen Trice as Part of Roster Cuts
Trice spent three years in college playing for the Washington Huskies, and during that time, he turned himself into one of the top pass-rushing prospects in his draft class. In his final season, Trice racked up 49 tackles and seven sacks in 15 games of action, as he helped Washington make a run to the 2023 National Championship Game, where they came up short against the Michigan Wolverines.
Atlanta ended up selecting Trice in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with the hope being that he could reinforce its defensive line depth. Instead, Trice tore his ACL in his first preseason game, causing him to miss the entire 2024 campaign. Injuries caused him to miss the whole year in 2025, too, as that same knee caused him problems that kept him off the field once again.
While Trice entered training camp healthy this year, he faced an uphill battle when it came to securing a spot on the 53-man roster. Sure enough, he was let go of as part of the Falcons’ final roster cuts, meaning that his stint with the team has come to an end without him ever suiting up in a regular-season game.
When the Falcons drafted defensive end Bralen Trice in the third round in 2024, they thought he had a bright future. Instead, he never played in a regular-season game for them,” Michael David Smith wrote for ProFootballTalk. “Trice was among the Falcons’ roster cuts on Sunday, the end of a highly disappointing two years in Atlanta.”
Falcons Cut Their Losses on Failed Bralen Trice Selection
There’s a chance that Trice could find his way back to the Falcons as a practice squad player, but it’s tough to see him clearing waivers given the upside he possesses. If Trice can simply stay healthy, he could very well become a key piece of a team’s front seven on defense. Given their depth at this spot, though, it didn’t make sense for them to hold onto him to start the new season.
Draft picks just don’t pan out sometimes, and unfortunately, that is what has happened here with Trice. His NFL career isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination, but getting cut by Atlanta without having suited up for it is a tough look. Trice will be looking to find a new home in the pros now, but if he doesn’t, he could find his way back to the Falcons as a member of their practice squad.
Falcons Cut Ties With Former Third-Round Pick Who Never Made His NFL Debut