The Atlanta Falcons have had a busy start to the offseason. After firing Raheem Morris in the wake of another disappointing campaign, the Falcons moved quickly to hire Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach. After recently getting fired by the Cleveland Browns, Stefanski will now work on building his coaching staff with the Falcons.
The first big decision Stefanski has to make involves the coaches who are holdovers from Morris’ staff. While he appears set to hire his own offensive coordinator, reports indicated that Stefanski was open to keeping defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on his staff. And sure enough, some big news regarding Ulbrich’s future with Atlanta has emerged in the wake of Stefanski getting hired.
Falcons Sign Jeff Ulbrich to Three-Year Contract Extension
Kevin Stefanski’s first key staff addition come in-house in Atlanta, where Ulbrich’s D set a franchise record with 57 sacks in 2025.
Atlanta was hoping to take a step forward in 2025, but once again, that didn’t end up happening. With Morris turning to Michael Penix Jr. as his full-time starter at quarterback, there was reason for optimism, but the team couldn’t consistently win games. Penix suffered a season-ending injury midway through the year, which essentially ended Atlanta’s season early.
Defensively, though, the Falcons made major strides, thanks in large part to Ulbrich’s work with the unit. After a quick stint with the New York Jets, Ulbrich latched on with Atlanta and quickly proved he is still one of the best defensive minds in the game. For years, the Falcons have struggled to find any sort of consistent pass rush production, but in 2025, they set a franchise record with 57 sacks on the season.
Once Morris was fired, though, Ulbrich’s status with the team was suddenly up in the air. Stefanski knows how valuable it is to have a reliable defensive coordinator at his disposal, though, and he seemed to value Ulbrich’s presence on his staff. As a result, the team agreed to a three-year contract extension with Ulbrich on Monday morning.
“The Falcons agreed to terms with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on a new three-year deal, per sources,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported. “Kevin Stefanski’s first key staff addition come in-house in Atlanta, where Ulbrich’s D set a franchise record with 57 sacks in 2025.”
Kevin Stefanski Set to Continue Assembling Coaching Staff with Falcons
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 21: Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns looks on in the fourth quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field on December 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Keeping Ulbrich around makes a lot of sense for Stefanski, as he enjoyed a great deal of success with the team in 2025. Assuming Ulbrich can keep that up moving forward, that will allow Stefanski to focus more on the offensive side of the ball, where developing Penix as he returns from his latest serious injury has suddenly become a very pressing matter for the team.
Finding an offensive coordinator will be crucial for Stefanski, but reports indicate he appears set to bring Tommy Rees, who was his OC with Cleveland last season, to Atlanta with him. Assuming that does happen, the major areas of Stefanski’s staff will be filled, which would then allow the team to begin finding ways to beef up the roster for the new season.
Falcons Announce Major Decision on DC Jeff Ulbrich After Kevin Stefanski Hiring