The Atlanta Falcons went 8-9 in the 2025 NFL Season and actually tied with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the best record in the NFC South. It's clear that the Falcons could have won the division this year, but the team underachieved big-time.
And it seems like the top decision-makers agree with that statement, as both Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot were shown the door on Monday, signaling the end of an era that wasn't all that old to begin with.
Yet again, the Falcons need a new GM and a new head coach. While they get that process started, we still have to talk about the team's schedule of opponents for 2026, as the regular season is now over, so all 32 teams know who they will face next year. The dates and times typically come out in May.
Here are the Atlanta Falcons' opponents for the 2026 NFL Season
Since the NFL is on a 17-game format, it's the NFC's turn to have nine home games and eight away games. This obviously bodes well for the Falcons in the 2026 NFL Season. Here are the team's opponents for 2026:
Home:
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
San Francisco 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs
Away:
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
Washington Commanders
The Falcons will have nine home games this year and should have a tougher time with the Bears, Lions, Ravens, 49ers, and Chiefs. That is a relatively tough home slate, but there are some winnable games on this schedule, and it's good that the team is getting the toughest opponents at home.
The team will also have a tougher time against the Packers, Vikings, Steelers, and probably Commanders with some of their away matchups, proving that the 2026 NFL Season is going to be a pretty heavy lift for a new regime to dig out of.
But, if you want to look at this as a glass half full type of situation, the Falcons did win eight games in 2025 and are still in the NFC South, one of the weaker divisions in the NFL. Their schedule doesn't necessarily do them any favors, but we have seen how quickly teams can turn around if they bring in the right coaching staff, and if that happens in Atlanta, watch out...