Devonta Freeman Dates Joined and Early Career
Devonta Freeman joined the NFL when the Atlanta Falcons selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, picking 103rd overall from Florida State. He made his regular-season debut in Week 1 of the 2014 season against the New Orleans Saints and recorded his first career touchdown in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His rookie year established him as a featured back, finishing with 117 carries for 588 yards and 4 touchdowns while also contributing as a receiver out of the backfield according to Forbes draft coverage.
By the 2015 season, Freeman had become the Falcons' primary running back after a strong training camp and preseason performance. He started all 16 games that year, rushing for 1,094 yards and 10 touchdowns, which marked his first 1,000-yard season and earned him a spot on the AP All-Pro second team. His production in 2015 was driven by consistent usage in the Falcons' offense under head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as documented on Pro Football Reference.
Peak Performance and Contract Milestones
Freeman's peak performance came in the 2016 season, when he rushed for 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns while also catching 45 passes for 310 yards. That year, the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI, where Freeman had 18 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the New England Patriots. His 2016 campaign ranked among the top individual seasons by any Falcon running back in the team's modern history.
Following his strong 2016 campaign, Freeman signed a five-year contract extension with the Falcons in March 2017 worth up to $41.25 million, with $23 million guaranteed at signing. The deal made him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL at the time and reflected the Falcons' commitment to building their offense around his abilities. The extension included escalators tied to playing time and performance incentives as detailed on OverTheCap.
Later Career Moves and Current Status
After injuries and a shift in the Falcons' offensive direction, Freeman was traded to the Houston Texans in October 2019, where he played in 10 games and rushed for 422 yards and 2 touchdowns. He signed with the Denver Broncos in April 2020 but was released before the regular season after failing a physical related to a neck injury, effectively pausing his active NFL career. Freeman remained a free agent and did not appear in a regular-season game after the 2019 season.
As of the most recent public records, Devonta Freeman has not signed with an NFL team and is not currently on an active roster. His career statistics include 6,653 rushing yards and 43 rushing touchdowns over eight NFL seasons, placing him among the more productive running backs drafted between 2010 and 2019. His career trajectory is frequently referenced in discussions about running back durability and the impact of injuries on production per Sports Reference NFL data