1989 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1989 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise’s 24th season in the National Football League. The Falcons drafted Deion Sanders with their first round pick in the NFL Draft. Marion Campbell retired after the twelfth game of the season.
Despite having Sanders in their defensive backfield, the Falcons surrendered 7.59 yards per pass attempt in 1989, one of the ten worst totals in NFL history.
The latter part of the season was marred by two tragedies. On November 24, rookie offensive tackle Ralph Norwood was killed in an automobile accident eight miles from the Falcons’ training facilities. Just under a month later, on December 19, backup tight end Brad Beckman was also killed in an auto accident. It marked the death of three players of the team in the space of two seasons.
Offseason
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
| Oscar Angulo | Tight end | Eastern Kentucky |
| Norris Blount | Cornerback | Baylor |
| Deon Booker | Running back | Louisville |
| Ivan Cook | Linebacker | Washington State |
| Tyreese Knox | Running back | Nebraska |
| Steve McMillon | Cornerback | Wyoming |
| Maury Metcalf | Linebacker | Washington State |
| Mark Millett | Tight end | Southwest Texas State |
| Kevin Simien | Wide receiver | Fort Hays State |
| Alonzo Washington | Running back | Arizona |
Regular season
Game summaries
Week 9
This would be the final win of the season for Atlanta.Awards and records
- Shawn Collins, led all NFL rookie wide receivers in receptions