"Ulbrich, his staff, and Atlanta's roster conspired to set the franchise record for sacks in a single season, improved in almost every defensive category you can think of, and had a rare streak of sub-200 yard passing games last season."
"With Kevin Stefanski's hire, the team will indeed be keeping Ulbrich. per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. It ensures continuity on defense, allowing the team to build on their 2025 performance if they can enhance the roster, and will hopefully help the Falcons avoid the Ryan Nielsen-to-Jimmy Lake fiasco of 2023/2024."
"The longtime NFL linebacker first got a taste of being a team's defensive coordinator in 2020 with Atlanta, after he was promoted under interim head coach Raheem Morris. While his defense wasn't great that year, it was much better than the unit that Dan Quinn and Morris had put on the field during the first five games, and Ulbrich turned that stint into a role as Robert Saleh's defensive coordinator with the Jets."
"To keep his job over the long haul-or turn it into a full-time head coaching gig-Ulbrich will need to have this Falcons defense playing even better ball in 2026 and beyond. He'll need to ensure the Falcons have reserves who are ready to go in the event of injury after the team's slow pivots away from the likes of JD Bertrand and mix-and-match solutions for an injured Mike Hughes hurt them badly at times."
Jeff Ulbrich will remain with the Falcons under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, providing defensive continuity after a 2025 season that set the franchise sack record and improved across most defensive metrics. The defense produced an unusual run of sub-200-yard passing games and outperformed expectations despite significant roster holes. Ulbrich's coaching resume includes a 2020 stint as Atlanta's interim defensive coordinator and multiple top-five total yardage defenses with the Jets under Robert Saleh. Sustaining success will require roster upgrades and reliable depth, especially at linebacker and secondary, and stronger contingency plans for injuries to preserve performance into 2026 and beyond.
Read at The Falcoholic
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