5 takeaways from the Atlanta Falcons 2024-25 schedule
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
We're as excited as these two fans after seeing the Falcons new schedule. Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images
New Falcons head coach Raheem Morris now has the details of the challengers his team will face in his first year.
State of play: The NFL released the full schedule for the 2024-25 season Wednesday night.
Why it matters: The Falcons and their fans get their first look at the gauntlet the team will have to run to make it to the playoffs.
Here are five takeaways from the upcoming season's schedule:
Kirk Cousins vs. former teams
New quarterback Kirk Cousins gets the chance to face off against the team that drafted him (at the Washington Commanders in Week 17, time and date TBD) and the team he left to join the Falcons (at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 on Dec. 8).
Arthur Smith returns
Just about every Falcons fan will be salivating when the Pittsburgh Steelers roll into town for the first game of the season on Sept. 8. The Steelers signed Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator after three disappointing years as head coach in Atlanta.
- Pittsburgh will also be bringing quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to town — two players who could've been in a Falcons uniform this year had the team not settled on Cousins.
One for the Swifties
The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the No. 1 Swiftie Travis Kelce stop in Atlanta in Week 3 on Sept. 22.
- The Falcons also get to host the NFL's most valuable team, the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 on Nov. 3 and Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 on Dec. 1 led by head coach Jim Harbaugh who last season won the NCAA national championship.
Return to prime time
All but two of the Falcons' games last year kicked off at 1pm as Atlanta spent zero minutes playing in prime time (Thursday, Sunday or Monday night.) When you're a bad team with poor quarterback play, that happens.
- Yes, but this season is different as Atlanta has four chances to show off their star power on the national stage: Week 2 against the Eagles on MNF, against the Chiefs on SNF, Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on TNF and Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders on MNF.
Renewed rivalries
The Falcons have their best chance in years to win the NFC South division and secure at least one home playoff game. But they'll have to deal with the pesky Carolina Panthers (which had two wins last season, one against Atlanta) in weeks 6 (Oct. 13) and 18 (date tbd) and the hated New Orleans Saints in weeks 4 (Sept. 29) and 10 (Nov. 10).
- They get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in weeks 5 (Oct. 3) and 8 (Oct. 27), winners of the past three division crowns.
You can check out the full schedule here.