Falcons' recently released 2025-2026 schedule does them 'no favors' and offers little convenience

The Atlanta Falcons’ upcoming season is once again surrounded by hype—echoing the same expectations they carried just a year ago. The goal then was to win the NFC South and clinch their first playoff berth since 2017. However, things didn’t go as planned, and the Falcons lost the division lead with just one regular-season game remaining.

Heading into this season, the excitement centers around the Falcons’ young core. Nearly the entire offense is made up of players on rookie contracts, and after gaining a few years of experience, the time to win is now.

The Falcons landed multiple prime-time games on the schedule, and rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is seen as a key reason why.

“It’s a bit surprising that the Falcons have five prime-time games this season,” Jordan Dajani wrote. “I believe that's because of the excitement surrounding Michael Penix Jr.”

Penix is poised to make headlines in a rare scenario for the NFL—starting as a left-handed quarterback.

“Tua vs. Penix could be the first game between 2 left-handed starting QBs since Michael Vick and Chris Simms went at it back in 2006,” NFL on CBS posted.

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The NFL schedule was released on Wednesday, with Atlanta set to face off against Miami. Running back Bijan Robinson is confident in the team’s potential, even boldly predicting that Atlanta will beat the Commanders by 20 points.

Still, the Falcons' schedule poses some challenges and lacks convenience.

“The Falcons' 2025 schedule doesn't do the organization any favors in its quest to return to the postseason. There's nothing about it that's convenient. However, that will all be a footnote at the season's conclusion — no one will care about the schedule or its pitfalls. All that matters is how many wins you have, and for the Falcons in 2025, they need however many wins will get them into the postseason,” Tori McElhaney wrote.

In addition to a less-than-ideal Week 5 bye, the Falcons will also have to travel to both San Francisco and Arizona at separate points during the regular season—adding to the grind of an already demanding year.