A UFL champion who overcame a career-threatening knee injury, Devonnsha Maxwell is back in the NFL after signing with Atlanta out of the DC Defenders' interior line.
Maxwell's path to Atlanta wound through an undrafted stint with Cincinnati that ended with a serious knee injury, a stretch on the outside of the league, and a championship run with the UFL's DC Defenders. The Falcons signed him in June 2026 to add depth at defensive tackle.
Path to the league
Maxwell played defensive tackle at Chattanooga from 2018 to 2022, earning a psychology degree along the way, and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in May 2023.
Career highlights
Maxwell's rookie training camp with Cincinnati was cut short by a right knee injury that landed him on injured reserve in August 2023, and the Bengals released him a year later. He rebuilt his career in the UFL with the DC Defenders, helping the team win the 2025 UFL championship.
2025 season recap
Maxwell spent the 2025 season with the DC Defenders in the UFL rather than the NFL, contributing to the team's championship run before the Falcons signed him to their roster in June 2026 as he looks to earn his way back into the league.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Devonnsha Maxwell
- Pro Football Reference: Devonnsha Maxwell
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Chattanooga
- Hometown
- Valdosta, GA, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
