It's no secret that the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints don't get along. While the rivalry hasn't been as ramped up in recent years due to both organizations not being very good, it's still widely known that these two teams don't get along.
New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski had the perfect response when discussing the rivalry with the Saints during his introductory press conference. He touched on his relationship with Saints head coach Kellen Moore but how that won't change how he views this divisional rivalry.
"I know full well how important that rivalry is with us and the Saints. Obviously Kellen Moore is a good friend of mine. That's a part of this business. When you've been doing this this long, you're going up against a lot of your friends in this business. You can be friends with them before 363 days of the year. For those other two days, you're competing like crazy."
Kevin Stefanski made his stance on Falcons-Saints rivalry crystal clear
This is precisely what you want to hear from a head coach that's entering his first year with a team. You want him to acknowledge the biggest rivalry and explain that he recognizes how big it is for the franchise.
Again, Falcons-Saints hasn't been what it was during the Drew Brees/Matt Ryan days but the hatred between these two fan bases is still very much there. While it's not fun watching the Saints potentially be competitive again, the rivalry is way more fun when both teams actually have something to play for.
The Saints looked competitive in the back half of the 2025 season and Tyler Shough looks to actually be a competent quarterback for them. If the Falcons can find a quarterback that can help make them competitive in 2026, this rivalry could be back up and running again and that's an exciting thought.
The good news is that Stefanski appears to know what's at stake when these two meet up and it should be a lot of fun to watch play out.