A long-shot Falcons WR with a famous football past is looking toward the future
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That movie — 'Surf's Up' — was the start of the relationship between new wide receiver David Sills V and quarterback Kirk Cousins, a bond that has continued on the practice field in training camp. It came up during a Friday lunch at the team facility when Cousins solicited recommendations for a movie he could watch with his kids.
Sills recommended 'Surf's Up.' Enthusiastically.
'He was 10 toes down on it, wouldn't back down,' Cousins said. 'I was like, 'David, you have kind of backed yourself into a corner here. If it's not good, you have no credibility.' But it was actually awesome.'
Sills had little doubt Cousins would see it that way.
'It's an unbelievable movie,' he said. 'If you haven't watched it, you have to watch it. The soundtrack is unbelievable. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. It's got penguins surfing, Cody Maverick, Chicken Joe. How can you get any better than that? I stood on the table for it.'
Cousins won't play against the Lions. Starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and most of the team's first-stringers won't either. But Sills will. It'll be an important night for him and the rest of the backup wide receivers. Friday night will be about evaluating players further down the roster who are competing for playing time and jobs.
Sills will be one of the most compelling. The 29-year-old has been football famous since 2010 when he accepted a collegiate scholarship offer to play quarterback at the University of Southern California for then-head coach Lane Kiffin. Sills was just 13. Kiffin was fired before Sills graduated high school, and he never did become a Trojan, eventually landing at West Virginia as a wide receiver after attempting to play quarterback at El Camino (Calif.) College.
In 2017 and 2018, the 6-3, 201-pound Sills had a combined 125 catches for 1,966 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Mountaineers. That's where Falcons wide receiver Drake London first became aware of Sills by watching online highlights.
'I used to watch him a lot,' London said. 'He's legit.'
You may not be familiar with Falcons WR David Sills V, but Drake London has been watching him since high school. pic.twitter.com/3GfssMGG3e
— Joe Patrick (@japatrick200) July 31, 2025
'I guess that kind of puts a date on me,' Sills said. 'I feel like now I'm watching his highlights every day in practice.'
Sills joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills in 2019. He didn't get on the field until 2021 when he started one game for the New York Giants and finished the season with two catches for 17 yards. He had 11 catches for 106 yards for the Giants in 2022, and then went to Denver, where he played in three games but didn't have a catch in 2023 and spent 2024 on the practice squad.
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The Falcons signed Sills to a reserve/futures contract in January and were immediately impressed.
'The moment he got here in OTAs, you could see it,' offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. 'He's got some speed down the field and some change-of-direction skills, catches the ball extremely well. He can really line up in all three spots for us right now, which is invaluable.'
Sills has been a favorite target of Cousins with the second-team offense throughout training camp — and not just because of his movie recommendations.
'I think he's a good player,' Cousins said. 'I think he's been a pleasant surprise. I think the coaches are excited about the role he could play for us this year. He's a very natural player, like having him out there.'
The Falcons likely will keep five or six wide receivers on their 53-man roster. London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge are virtual locks for four of those spots, and return specialist Jamal Agnew is a strong bet for the fifth spot.
That would leave Sills, Chris Blair, DJ Chark, Dylan Drummond, Jesse Matthews, Nick Nash, Quincy Skinner Jr. and Casey Washington competing for a potential sixth spot and practice squad positions.
'I feel like I'm continuing to learn the position,' Sills said. 'I feel like there are still a lot of things I can work on, but I feel more at ease about the position. Playing receiver, there is obviously a lot of talent that goes into it. But it's almost an art, you see the different sizes and speeds.'
Sills and the rest of the receivers will be catching passes Friday from Easton Stick and Emory Jones, who are competing for Atlanta's third quarterback spot.
Sills 'has been really good, really smart, has a great feel,' Stick said. 'He runs really well, he's long, really everything you want from a guy going out there.'
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At the moment, Sills and the others appear to be chasing Washington. A sixth-round pick of the Falcons in 2024, Washington got lots of snaps with the starters in Wednesday's scrimmage and caught long passes from Penix in the first half.
'I think (Friday night) is a great opportunity,' said Matthews, who spent 2024 on the Falcons' practice squad. 'When you have the perspective that you're playing the game of football at a high level and something that you've dreamed about your whole life, you try to have fun and control what you can control and allow everything else to work itself out. We have a great receiver room.'
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