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The Atlanta Falcons discovered a new linebacker prospect Tuesday night after watching Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss tackle during the team’s scrimmage.
In the bottom of the fifth inning of the Braves’ 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler hit the mound after he took a pitch near the head.
Weiss ran out of the dugout intent on stopping Soler, who continued to chase down his starting pitcher, Reynaldo López. The 62-year-old manager morphed into a linebacker, dropped his shoulder and took the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Soler to the ground with a fine tackle.
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Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jorge Soler speaks to the coaching staff after a brawl with Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., on April 7, 2026. (William Navarro/Imagn Images)
The Falcons took notice, posting a screenshot of Weiss’ tackle to X with the caption, “Come get the pads on, Skip.”
Weiss said his goal was to take Soler off his feet before he hurt anyone.
“I love Soler. We were teammates here,” Weiss said. “But he’s a big man, and so I just felt like I had to get him off him because he’s going to hurt somebody. And so that was my instinct, just to get in there and get Jorge off his feet, yeah, because he was on a warpath.”
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Los Angeles Angels’ Jorge Soler is tackled to the ground by Atlanta Braves players as a fight breaks out during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, California, on April 7, 2026. (Ethan Swope/AP)
Weiss was familiar with Soler before running a shoulder into him when the two were teammates on the Braves’ World Series-winning team in 2021. Weiss was an assistant coach on that team while Soler was named the World Series MVP.
Even if Weiss doesn’t end up donning the pads for the Falcons, the team can use Weiss’ tackle as a good teaching tape.
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A fight breaks out during the fifth inning of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Atlanta Braves in Anaheim, California, on April 7, 2026. (Ethan Swope/AP)
The Braves (7-5) and Angels (6-6) will look to avoid more chaos when they play the final game of their three-game series on Thursday at 4:07 p.m. ET.
