Malcolm Dewalt IV, a cornerback the Atlanta Falcons kept on their active roster for six weeks, just signed with the Carolina Panthers a few hours before their prime-time showdown against the Green Bay Packers tonight. This isn’t just some roster move, it’s a gut punch right to the Falcons, and it could totally shift the battle for the top of the NFC South.
From Undrafted Gem to Rival Starter?
DeWalt’s journey to the NFL was already pretty wild. He was an undrafted free agent out of Akron, signed with the Falcons after the 2026 NFL Draft, and against some seriously steep odds, he made their initial 53-man roster out of training camp. The Falcons clearly saw something in the guy, keeping him on the active roster for those first six weeks, even though he didn’t actually play in a regular season game. Then, *last Thursday*, they cut him. Why? Atlanta was anticipating A.J. Terrell’s return from the injured reserve list. With Terrell back and Billy Bowman Jr. healthy again, the Falcons brass decided they had enough depth at defensive back. Guess what? They were wrong. DeWalt spent the last five days on Carolina’s practice squad, and now he’s officially back on a 53-man roster, rocking Panther blue. The dude is 24, has decent versatility, and at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he’s got the size to line up on the outside. Atlanta was probably hoping to sneak him onto their practice squad, but the Panthers beat them to it, snatching him up. You just know that stings.
Atlanta’s Quarterback Quandary Comes Back to Haunt Them
Here’s the real kicker, the one that makes you want to pull your hair out if you’re a Falcons fan: If DeWalt can actually carve out a role in Carolina, the Falcons are going to seriously regret their decision to keep *four healthy quarterbacks* on their active roster. You heard that right. Four. Atlanta signed former Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton to compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the backup job behind Michael Penix Jr. So while they’re juggling three backups for one starting spot, they let a promising, young, 6-foot-2 corner walk right into the arms of a division rival. That’s a head-scratcher of epic proportions. You need depth everywhere in the NFL, especially at corner, and they just gave a potential asset away for free, all because they wanted a full QB room.
Tonight’s Stakes Just Got Higher
The Panthers are already holding a half-game lead over the Falcons in the NFC South. Tonight’s prime-time game against the Packers was already big, but now it’s got this extra layer of drama. We’ll have to see if DeWalt gets on the field tonight for Carolina. If he does, and he makes a play, every Falcons fan is going to be screaming about that quartet of QBs and the cornerback they let get away. Keep your eyes glued to that Thursday night matchup; it could be spicy.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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