Feb. 11, 2026, 7:06 p.m. ET
A division rival has reportedly swooped up a former Carolina Panther.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Atlanta Falcons are hiring Chase Blackburn as their assistant special teams coach. The former linebacker both played and coached for the Panthers between 2013 and 2021.
Blackburn got his first shot in Carolina after beginning his playing career with the New York Giants, a tenure that lasted from 2005 to 2012. In two seasons with the Panthers, he amassed 39 combined tackles and nine starts over a total of 19 games.
Two years after retiring, Blackburn was hired as an assistant special teams coach by Carolina. He’d be promoted to special teams coordinator in 2018, a position he held through the 2021 campaign.
He’s since picked up stops as the assistant special teams coach for the Tennessee Titans (2022) and the special teams coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams (2023 to 2025).
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