Atlanta Falcons rumored 2025 schedule includes five prime-time games

If reports are true, the NFL is doubling down on its belief in the Atlanta Falcons entering the 2025 season — and doing so on a global scale.

NBC reporter Zach Klein said that he's been informed the Falcons will appear in four prime-time games this season: two Monday Night Football home matchups against the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams, and two Sunday Night Football road showdowns with the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers. In addition, NBC’s Maria Martin revealed that Atlanta is also expected to play in a Thursday Night Football clash on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, bringing their total to five prime-time games.

This level of national exposure would mark the second consecutive year the Falcons appear in four or more prime-time games — a major leap from their media invisibility just a few seasons ago. The NFL’s apparent commitment to spotlighting Atlanta comes at a time when expectations for the franchise are the highest they’ve been in years.

A major factor in that outlook? Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been named the starter after the Falcons drafted him No. 8 overall in last year. That has left veteran Kirk Cousins, signed last offseason to a four-year, $180 million deal in an awkward position. With Penix entrenched atop the depth chart, the team faces a looming decision: trade Cousins or keep him as the NFL’s highest-paid backup.

And while the prime-time lights will be bright, the Falcons’ logistical challenges will be even more demanding.

As previously reported by Bill Speros, Atlanta will travel a staggering 25,947 miles in 2025 — more than doubling last year’s total of 12,416. A major contributor to that spike is the team’s participation in the NFL’s first-ever game in Berlin, Germany, where they will face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10. That trip alone, along with visits to Arizona, New England, and San Francisco, will push the Falcons across 28 time zones throughout the season.

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Despite the heavy travel, the Falcons’ strength of schedule ranks just 20th in the league, according to CBS Sports, based on opponents’ combined 2024 record (.478). That puts Atlanta second in the NFC South in terms of schedule difficulty — trailing only Tampa Bay.

With national attention, long-distance hurdles, and a quarterback storyline that won’t go away, the Falcons’ 2025 season is already shaping up to be one of the most watched in recent memory.