'This S--- Hurt, Worst Year of My NFL Life': Will Falcons Sign RB Mike Davis?

Davis is an impending free agent this offseason.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 23, 2022

The Atlanta Falcons face a lot of difficult decisions this offseason, and one of them comes with hometown running back Mike Davis.

Davis, who turns 29 next month, has one year left on his contract.

He signed a two-year $5.5 million contract prior to this season including a $1.5 million signing bonus. His base salary is due to increase to $2.5 million in 2022 with a dead cap number of just $750,000.

That means the Falcons could save $1.75 million against the cap if they were to part ways with Davis prior to the 2022 season.

Don't be surprised if that happens. The Falcons could cut him, and then offer him a contract at a lower base salary, or they could go in an entirely new direction.

Davis was brought in last offseason to be the team's lead running back, but struggled in his first year in Atlanta. He ran for 503 yards and three touchdowns while playing in every one of Atlanta's 17 games.

The decision the team makes with Davis will likely have some effect on what the team decides to do with Cordarrelle Patterson, the team's breakout star who is an impending free agent. Patterson will warrant more than the $3 million he signed for last offseason, and that raise may come out of Davis' paycheck.

However, if the team is unable to retain Patterson, it could increase Davis' chances of staying with the Falcons for a second season.

There is also the chance the team wipes the deck clean and goes with a new group of backs, possibly finding one through the draft. But for the time being, Davis is in roster limbo.

Published Jan 23, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.