Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. faces manageable 2025 schedule in first year as full-time starter

The full 2025 NFL schedule won’t be released until Wednesday, but all 32 teams already know their opponents. That means strength of schedule projections — at least based on last year’s records — are already available.

According to CBS Sports, the Atlanta Falcons enter the 2025 season with the 20th-ranked strength of schedule. Their opponents’ combined record from last season was 138–151, giving them a .478 winning percentage.

That places the Falcons second in the NFC South in terms of schedule difficulty. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a four-way tie for 16th, while the Carolina Panthers are tied for 27th. The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, are projected to have the second-easiest schedule in the entire NFL — just ahead of the San Francisco 49ers.

Here’s a look at the Falcons’ full slate of 2025 home and away opponents:

Home:

• Buffalo Bills

• Carolina Panthers

• Los Angeles Rams

• Miami Dolphins

• New Orleans Saints

• Seattle Seahawks

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Washington Commanders

Away:

• Arizona Cardinals

• Carolina Panthers

• Indianapolis Colts

• Minnesota Vikings

• New England Patriots

• New Orleans Saints

• New York Jets

• San Francisco 49ers

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This season will also mark the beginning of what appears to be the Michael Penix Jr. era in Atlanta. Penix made his debut late last year in place of a struggling Kirk Cousins. He started three games, going 1–2, while the Falcons finished 8–7 overall and missed the playoffs for a seventh straight season.

One of the more intriguing matchups on the 2025 slate is a rematch with the Washington Commanders. The two teams met last season in what became a highlight-filled battle between Penix and Jayden Daniels. That game took place in Washington during Penix’s second career start, with the Falcons losing 30-24. This year, the rematch will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Falcons will also be one of several NFL teams featured in an international game in 2025. Per a schedule leak, the Falcons will take on the Indianapolis Colts in the first-ever regular season game in Berlin, Germany in Week 10.

In all, the Falcons will hope to become NFC South champions for the first time since 2016, overtaking the Buccaneers who have won it four straight years.