ATLANTA — The NFL released the Atlanta Falcons' 2026 regular-season schedule, which opens on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers and includes three consecutive prime-time games in Weeks 3 through 5. Atlanta has beaten the Steelers twice in 19 prior meetings.

In Week 2, the Falcons will host the Carolina Panthers on September 20, 2026. The prime-time stretch begins in Week 3 with a Thursday Night Football trip to the Green Bay Packers, followed by a Monday Night Football game at the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, and a Sunday Night Football home matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on October 11, 2026.

The Falcons will host the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 18, 2026, in Week 6, then host the San Francisco 49ers at the same venue on October 25, 2026. A Week 8 road game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers precedes a Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, where Atlanta is the designated home team.

Atlanta will host the Kansas City Chiefs on November 15, 2026, in Week 10, followed by a bye in Week 11. The team will then play at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12 before hosting the Detroit Lions on December 6, 2026.

Road games at the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders follow in Weeks 14 and 15. The Falcons will host the Buccaneers on December 27, 2026, host the Saints in Week 17, and close the regular season at the Panthers in Week 18.

Based on 2025 winning percentages, Atlanta has the fifth-easiest schedule of any NFL team in 2026. Falcons games will be broadcast on ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and NFL Network on select dates during the season.

NFL.com analyst Tom Blair predicted an 8-9 finish and a ninth consecutive year without a playoff appearance. "The Falcons figure to raise their offensive floor with Kevin Stefanski and (possibly) Tua Tagovailoa while returning most of the key members of a solid defense, including coordinator Jeff Ulbrich," Blair wrote.

Describing his projected path through the season, he wrote: "Alternating wins and losses over the first 10 weeks improves the vibes over last year's 3-7 start. If they can eke out one more following the Week 11 bye, things could really start looking up. In this scenario, though, a collection of difficult road losses (at the Vikings, at the Commanders and, most devastatingly, at the Panthers) keeps Atlanta out of the playoffs for the ninth straight season."