Falcons are in trouble already, but their NFC South rivals also have issues

FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons are in trouble before they’ve even played one exhibition game.

Add Jalon Walker’s season-ending knee injury to the list of issues that cast doubt on the team’s chances of ending the NFC’s longest playoff drought.

Walker and James Pearce Jr. played a big part in the Falcons finally producing an effective pass rush last season. Now Walker won’t play this season, and Pearce is facing a possible six-game ban from the league because of his arrest on domestic violence charges.

The Falcons are trying to find out if one of their quarterbacks — Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa — can be an effective starter. Neither player has been fully healthy during training camp.

All of this is happening with only one month before the Falcons start preparing for Week 1 at the Steelers. If you’re looking for a silver lining, you can find it at training camps for the other NFC South teams.

We’ve been waiting a while for the division to be bad enough for the Falcons to win it. Maybe this will be the year.

Last season, the Panthers became the second team in four years to win the South with a losing record. Now they have more injury concerns than the Falcons. It started before training camp.

Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is unlikely to play this season because of a knee injury suffered during a January playoff game. The Panthers have since announced that tackle Taylor Moton (blood clot) won’t be ready for the start of the season.

Carolina linebacker Nic Scourton suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first training camp practice. Scourton was expected to be a primary edge pass rusher this year after a strong rookie season.

Days later, rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II also suffered a season-ending injury. The Panthers selected him in the third round out of Tennessee.

“We could be sitting in a different room in a different city and we’re all dealing with the same type of deal,” Panthers coach Dave Canales told reporters. “Things come up, we practice hard, we practice at a good clip, and fortunately for us, we have some time.”

The Saints gained hope by winning five of nine games started by rookie quarterback Tyler Shough last season. They barely got training camp started before an injury put a damper on things. Bryan Bresee, the team’s best defensive tackle, suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first practice.

The Buccaneers have so far avoided major injuries in camp, but disgruntled star players are the potential problem in Tampa Bay.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the last year of his contract. He called Tampa Bay’s extension offer “disrespectful,” Defensive tackle Vita Vea’s agent told the Tampa Bay Times that his client wants a trade.

Bucs GM Jason Licht told reporters this week that he has “no plans” to trade Vea and considers Mayfield to be a “franchise quarterback.”

“Baker, as we all know here, is a very fiery competitor who is not afraid to speak his mind,” Licht told reporters. “I’m sure he’s disappointed, frustrated. We were, too. But like I said, we’re in a good place. He’s out to have the best year of his career.”

Mayfield is the best quarterback in the division. The Bucs would lose that edge if displeasure about his contract situation affects his performance. Mayfield told teammates he wouldn’t let that happen.

A good veteran QB with contract gripes is a problem the Falcons would like to have. They are entering Year 5 of trying to find a worthy successor to Matt Ryan, who is now the team’s president of football. Penix hasn’t shown he’s the guy in over 12 career starts.

Penix suffered an ACL injury in November and has yet to participate in full-squad practices. Penix said his doctor told him he could be cleared three weeks from now. If so, that would leave Penix about three weeks to get ready for the season opener on Sept. 13.

Tagovailoa was signed to challenge Penix for the starring gig. He had been limited in practice since the start of training camp because of a back injury. Tagovailoa is trying to reinvigorate his career after declining from Pro Bowl player to cast-off in Miami.

The pass rush ranks second to quarterback in importance. The Falcons have solid veterans to take the place of Walker and Pearce Jr. in the rotation, but it will be hard to replace the lost production.

Last season, Walker and Pearce combined for 15½ sacks, three forced fumbles and 74 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. The Falcons reportedly are looking to add another pass rusher to the roster, but the free-agent options aren’t good at this point of the year.

The Falcons have issues, with the season fast approaching. At least their NFC South rivals have problems, too.