According to Jeremy Brener of Athlon Sports on Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons have signed cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. of Johnston, South Carolina to a one-year deal worth $1.4 million. The Falcons are the fifth National Football League team he has played for. Hamilton Sr. was previously with the Oakland Raiders in 2016 and 2017, the New York Giants in 2018 and 2019, the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, and the Arizona Cardinals from 2021 to 2023.
In 2023, Hamilton Sr. had 40 combined tackles (29 solo tackles and 11 assisted tackles), one interception and 11 pass deflections. The interception came in a 21-16 Cardinals loss to the Houston Texans on November 19.
Hamilton Sr. is the fifth player to join the Falcons in National Football League free agency in the offseason. He is joined by quarterback Kirk Cousins of Barrington, Illinois, wide receivers Darnell Mooney of Gadsden, Alabama and Ray-Ray McCloud III of Tampa, Florida and tight end Charlie Woerner of Tiger, Georgia. It should be noted that the signings of Cousins, Mooney, McCloud III and Woerner came on offense, while the acquisition of Hamilton Sr. came on defense.
The best way to describe the Falcons defense in 2023 was mediocre. While they contained the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers to under 10 points in December contests, in the last two weeks of the season, the Falcons defense struggled mightily. In Week 17, they lost 37-17 to the Chicago Bears, and in Week 18, they lost 48-17 to the New Orleans Saints. However, despite giving up 85 points in the last two weeks, they have only invested $1.4 million on one new player to improve the defense.
