Jeff Ulbrich's presence in the NFL's accelerator program means the Falcons need to have a contingency plan for 2027 and beyond

The Falcons have faced potential losses of key offensive assistants, including Kyle Shanahan leaving as offensive coordinator and Charles London taking other opportunities. Fans also expected Zac Robinson to move on, though he did not. The likeliest near-term departure may come from the defensive side, with Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich recently completed time in the NFL’s revamped accelerator program, which changed the demographic and experience makeup compared to prior versions. He discussed new interview questions and gained perspective on head coaching, including from his interim head coach stint with the Jets. His NFL connections and defensive coordinator track record with the Jets and Falcons could lead to head-coaching interviews in 2027, with a promotion preferred to maintain continuity.

"That would be Jeff Ulbrich, who is fresh off time in the NFL's newly revamped accelerator program, which took a year off and returned with a distinctly different demographic and experience makeup than in the past. Ulbrich spoke to NFL Network about the experience and talked about being exposed to interview questions he wouldn't have thought of and perspective on head coaching that was new to him despite his brief stint as the interim head coach of the Jets."

"It's hard to come away from the interview without the impression that the Falcons defensive coordinator would leap at the chance for a head coaching gig if the right one came along, which is not particularly surprising. Ulbrich's interim head coaching experience, deep NFL connections as a player and coach, and fairly successful run as a defensive coordinator for both the Jets and now the Falcons primes him to make that leap in 2027 or 2028 if the Falcons defense plays well."

"It's an opportunity that I'd say is deserved, and given how rapidly teams churn head coaches, it's one he's likely to at least field interviews for in 2027. If that happens, the team needs to be ready for what comes next, which preferably would be an in-house promotion. Their defensive coaching staff continuity, which was clearly a priority this offseason under a new regime, should help with that."

"The team raised some eyebrows by blocking secondary coach Justin Hood for a job with the 49ers, which may position him as an interna"

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