| Atlanta Falcons | |||||||||||||
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 Current season | |||||||||||||
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| Basic info | |||||||||||||
| Established | June 30, 1965; 59 years ago (1965-06-30)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia | ||||||||||||
| Headquartered | Flowery Branch, Georgia[2] | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Black, red, silver, white[3][4][5] | ||||||||||||
| Mascot | Freddie Falcon | ||||||||||||
| Website | atlantafalcons | ||||||||||||
| Personnel | |||||||||||||
| Owner(s) | Arthur Blank | ||||||||||||
| CEO | Rich McKay | ||||||||||||
| President | Greg Beadles | ||||||||||||
| General manager | Terry Fontenot | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Raheem Morris | ||||||||||||
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| Team history | |||||||||||||
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| League / conference affiliations | |||||||||||||
National Football League (1966–present)
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| Championships | |||||||||||||
| League championships: 0 | |||||||||||||
| Conference championships: 2 | |||||||||||||
| Division championships: 6 | |||||||||||||
| Playoff appearances (14) | |||||||||||||
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TheAtlanta Falcons are a professionalAmerican football team based inAtlanta. The Falcons compete in theNational Football League (NFL) as a member of theNational Football Conference (NFC)South division. The Falcons were founded on June 30, 1965, and joined the NFL in 1966[6] as anexpansion team, after the NFL offered then-ownerRankin Smith a franchise to keep him from joining the rivalAmerican Football League (AFL).
In their 57 years of existence, the Falcons have compiled a record of 390–503–6 (380–489–6 in the regular season and10–14 in the playoffs), winning division championships in1980,1998,2004,2010,2012, and2016. The Falcons have appeared in twoSuper Bowls, the first during the 1998 season inSuper Bowl XXXIII, where they lost to theDenver Broncos34–19,[7] and the second 18 years later, a34–28 overtime loss to theNew England Patriots inSuper Bowl LI. They are the oldest major professional sports team in America with no championships.[8]
The Falcons' current home field isMercedes-Benz Stadium, which opened for the2017 season; the team's headquarters and practice facilities are located at a 50-acre (20 ha) site inFlowery Branch,[9] northeast of Atlanta inHall County.
Professional football first came to Atlanta in1962, when theAmerican Football League (AFL) staged two preseason contests, with one featuring theDenver Broncos vs. theHouston Oilers and the second pitting theDallas Texans against theOakland Raiders. Two years later, theAFL held another exhibition, this time with theNew York Jets taking on theSan Diego Chargers.
In 1965, after theAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium (then known simply as Atlanta Stadium) was built, the city of Atlanta felt the time was right to start pursuing professional football.[10] One independent group which had been active in NFL exhibition promotions in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the AFL and NFL, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL.[11]
With everyone running in different directions, some local businessmen (Cox Broadcasting) worked out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise onJune 8, contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from cityofficials.[12][13] NFLCommissionerPete Rozelle, who had been moving slowly in Atlanta matters, was spurred by the AFL interest and headed on the next plane down to Atlanta to block the rival league's claim on the city of Atlanta.[6][10][13] He forced the city to make a choice between the two leagues;[14] by June 30, the city picked Rankin Smith and the NFL.[10][15]
The AFL's original expansion plans in June 1965 were for two new teamsin1966,[16][17] in Atlanta andPhiladelphia.[18] It later evolved into theMiami Dolphins in 1966 and theCincinnati Bengals in1968. The NFL had planned to add two teams in1967; the competition with the AFL for Atlanta forced the first to be added a year early in1966. The odd number of teams (15) resulted in one idle team (bye) each week, with each team playing 14 games over 15 weeks (similar to1960: 12 games over 13 weeks). The second expansion team, theNew Orleans Saints, joined the NFL as planned in 1967 as its sixteenth franchise.
The Atlanta Falcons franchise began when it was approved to begin play in 1966 by a unanimous vote of the NFL club owners on June 21, 1965.[19] Rozelle granted ownership nine days later on June 30 to 40-year-oldRankin Smith Sr., an executive vice president of Life Insurance Company of Georgia. He paid $8.5 million, the highest price in NFL history at the time for a franchise.[6] Rozelle and Smith made the deal in about five minutes and the Atlanta Falcons brought the largest and most popular sport to the city of Atlanta.
The Atlanta expansion team became the 15th NFL franchise, and they were awarded the first overall pick in the1966 NFL draft as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds.[20] They selected consensusAll-AmericanlinebackerTommy Nobis from theUniversity of Texas, making him the first-ever Falcon. The league also held theexpansion draft six weeks later in which Atlanta selected unprotected players from the 14 existing franchises. Although the Falcons selected many good players in those drafts, they still were not able to win right away.[6]
The Atlanta team received its nickname on August 29, 1965. Miss Julia Elliott, a school teacher fromGriffin, was singled out from many people who suggested "Falcons" as the nickname for the new franchise.[21] She wrote: "the Falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly and has a great sporting tradition."[22][23]
The Falcons' inaugural season was in1966, and their first preseason game was on August 1, a loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles. Under head coachNorb Hecker, Atlanta lost their first nine regular-season games in 1966; their first victory came on the road against the strugglingNew York Giants on November 20 inYankee Stadium. Two weeks later, Atlanta won atMinnesota, and beatSt. Louis in Atlanta the next week for their first home win.[24] The team finished with a 1–12–1 record the next year, with the only win coming in Week 7 in a 21–20 win over the Minnesota Vikings in 1967.[25] After a 0–3 start to the 1968 season, Hecker was dismissed.[26] Norm Van Brocklin finished out the season as head coach with a 2–9 record.[27] Van Brocklin continued to coach the team the next season. The team improved to a 6–8 record in 1969.[28]
The Falcons had their firstMonday Night Football game in Atlanta during the1970 season, a 20–7 loss to theMiami Dolphins. The team went 4–8–2 in 1970.[29] The only two winning seasons in their first 12 years were1971 (7–6–1) and1973 (9–5).
In the1978 season, the 9–7 Falcons qualified for the playoffs for the first time and won the Wild Card game against theEagles 14–13.[30][31] The following week, they lost to theDallas Cowboys 27–20 in the Divisional Playoffs.[32] The 1979 team regressed to a 6–10 record.[33]
In the1980 season, after a nine-game winning streak, the Falcons posted a franchise then-best record of 12–4 and captured their first NFC West division title. The next week, their dream season ended at home with a loss to the Cowboys 30–27 in the divisional playoffs. In the strike-shortened1982 season, the 5–4 Falcons made the playoffs but lost to theMinnesota Vikings, 30–24.[34] Falcons coachLeeman Bennett was fired after the loss.[35] The team then had losing seasons for the next eight years. Dan Henning was hired prior to the 1983 season.[36]
In the1989 NFL draft, the Falcons selected cornerbackDeion Sanders in the first round, who helped them for the next four years, setting many records for the franchise.[37] "Neon Deion" (a.k.a. "Prime Time") had a flashy appeal and helped bring media attention to one of the league's most anonymous franchises. Sanders was also famous for playing on major league baseball teams (New York Yankees and theAtlanta Braves) while simultaneously playing in the NFL.
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After defeating theNew Orleans Saints in the NFC Wild Card game, the Falcons'1991 season ended in a divisional playoff loss to theWashington Redskins. In the1991 NFL draft, the Falcons selected quarterbackBrett Favre as the 33rd overall pick. During his rookie season, he played in two games where he amassed a record of four passing attempts with no receptions and two interceptions. The following February, Favre was traded to theGreen Bay Packers.[38]
In1992, the Atlanta Falcons opened a new chapter in their history moving into the newly constructed Georgia Dome, where the team has defeated all 31 other NFL teams at least once during its time there.[39]
In 1998, under recently acquired head coachDan Reeves, quarterbackChris Chandler and running backJamal Anderson the "Dirty Bird" Falcons had their greatest season to date.[40][41] On November 8, they beat theNew England Patriots 41–10, ending a streak of 22 losses at cold-weather sites. The team finished with a franchise-best 14–2 regular-season record and the NFC West division championship.[42] On January 17, 1999, the Falcons upset the top-seeded Vikings at theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in theNFC Championship Game 30–27, in an exciting overtime victory. However, in their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, they lost 34–19 to the defending championDenver Broncos inSuper Bowl XXXIII.
In the second game of the Falcons 1999 season, running backJamal Anderson, who had been a key player in the Falcons' 1998 success, suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Falcons finished the season with a very disappointing 5–11 regular-season record.[43] In 2000, the Falcons suffered through another horrendous season finishing 4–12 and once again missing the playoffs.[44]
In the2001 NFL draft, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with theSan Diego Chargers, acquiring the first overall pick (which was used on quarterbackMichael Vick) in exchange for wide receiver-return specialistTim Dwight and the fifth overall pick (used on running backLaDainian Tomlinson).[45]
The Falcons finished the2001 season with a record of 7–9 and missed the playoffs.[46]Jessie Tuggle retired following 14 seasons in Atlanta.[47]
On December 6, 2001, billionaireHome Depot co-founderArthur M. Blank reached a preliminary agreement with the Falcons' Taylor Smith to purchase the team for a reported $545 million.[48] In a special meeting prior toSuper Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans on February 2, 2002, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the deal.[49]
The 2002 season saw the Falcons return to the playoffs with a regular-season record of 9–6–1, tying thePittsburgh Steelers.[50] It was Vick's first year as the starter, and the team, with newly acquired running back Warrick Dunn, delivered the Green Bay Packers their first home playoff loss ever with a 27–7 result in the Wild Card Round.[51] A 20–6 loss to theDonovan McNabb-led Philadelphia Eagles the following week, however, ended the Falcons' season.[52]
On March 19, 2003, the Falcons presented their new logo.[53][6] During the 2003 preseason Vick broke his leg and missed the first 12 games of the season. After losing 7 straight games, the decision was made to fire head coach Dan Reeves.[54]Wade Phillips acted as interim coach for the final three games.[55] Although the Falcons won 3 of their last 4 games after the return of Vick, they ended up with a 5–11 record that year.[56]
In 2004, a new head coach,Jim L. Mora, was hired and Vick returned for thefull season. The Falcons went 11–5, winning their third division title and earning a first-round bye into the playoffs. In the divisional playoffs, the Falcons defeated theSt. Louis Rams, 47–17, in theGeorgia Dome, advancing to theNFC Championship Game, which they lost to theEagles, 27–10.[57][58][59]
TheFalcons again fell short of achieving back-to-back winning seasons in2005, going 8–8.[60] In2006, Michael Vick became the first quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, with 1,039.[61] After finishing the season 7–9, however, coach Jim Mora was dismissed.[62]
Bobby Petrino, theUniversity of Louisville's football coach, replaced Mora.[63] Before the2007 season began, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after pleading guilty to charges involving dog fighting in the state of Virginia.[64] On December 10, 2007, Vick received a 23-month prison sentence and was officially cut from the Atlanta roster.[65]
For the 2007 season, theFalcons were forced to startJoey Harrington at quarterback.[66] On December 11, 13 games into his first NFL season as head coach,Bobby Petrino resigned without notice to coach at theUniversity of Arkansas, leaving the beleaguered players only a note in the locker room.[67] Secondary CoachEmmitt Thomas was named interim coach for the final three games of the season on December 12. The Falcons ended the year with a dismal 4–12 record.[68]
After the tumultuous and disappointing 2007 season, the Falcons made a number of moves, hiring a new general manager and head coach, drafting a new starting quarterback, and signing a starting running back.
On January 13, 2008, the Falcons named former Patriots director of college football scoutingThomas Dimitroff General Manager.[69] On January 23,Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coach and former linebackers coach for the 2000 Super Bowl champion Baltimore RavensMike Smith was named the Falcons' new head coach.[70] Chargers back-up running backMichael Turner agreed to a 6-year, $30 million deal on March 2.[71] On April 26,Matt Ryan (quarterback fromBoston College) was drafted third overall in the2008 NFL draft by the Falcons.[72]
The Falcons finished the 2008 regular season with a record of 11–5, and the #5 seed in the playoffs.[73] On December 21, 2008, Atlanta beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–17 to clinch a wild card spot, earning a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Falcons would go on to lose in the wild-card round of the 2008 NFL playoffs to the eventual NFC championArizona Cardinals, 30–24.[74]
Matt Ryan started all 16 games in his rookie season and was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year.[75] First-year head coach Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year.[76]
Although they failed to make the playoffs in 2009 the team rallied to win their final three regular-season games to record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons defeated theTampa Bay Buccaneers 20–10 in the final game of the season to improve their record to 9–7.[77]
In 2010, with a regular-season record of 13–3, the Falcons secured a third straight winning season, their fourth overall divisional title, and the top overall seed in the NFC playoffs; however, the Falcons were overpowered by the eventualSuper Bowl XLV championGreen Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs 48–21.[78][79] The Falcons scored 414 points – the fifth-most in franchise history.[7] The team sent an NFL-high and franchise-best nine players to the2011 Pro Bowl.[80]
The Falcons made a surprise trade up with theCleveland Browns in the2011 NFL draft to selectAlabama wide receiverJulio Jones sixth overall. In exchange, the Falcons gave up their first-, second- and fourth-round draft picks in 2011, and their first and fourth draft picks in 2012.[81] Jones, along with teammatesTony Gonzalez andRoddy White, have since been dubbed Atlanta's "Big Three" (based on their total number of reception yards).[82] On August 30, 2011,Sports Illustrated senior writerPeter King, who correctly predicted the 2011 Super Bowl, made his predictions for the 2011 season and picked the Falcons to defeat the San Diego Chargers in the 2012 Super Bowl.[83] The Falcons finished the season at 10–6, securing the fifth seed after a Week 17 beatdown of Tampa Bay in which the Falcons pulled their starters after leading 42–0 just 23 minutes into the game.[84]
The Falcons then went on to play theNew York Giants in a 2011 NFC Wild Card Game atMetLife Stadium inEast Rutherford, New Jersey. The first half was a defensive struggle, with the first points coming off of a safety by the Falcons, giving Atlanta a 2–0 lead. In the second quarter, though,Eli Manning connected withHakeem Nicks for a short touchdown pass to make it 7–2 Giants heading into the second half. Then the Giants took control, as Manning threw for two more touchdown passes toMario Manningham and Nicks and the defense completed its shutout of the Falcons to give theNew York Giants the win, 24–2, and the Falcons their third straight playoff loss withMatt Ryan andMike Smith.[85] After the season, defensive coordinatorBrian VanGorder accepted a coaching job atAuburn University, and the offensive coordinatorMike Mularkey took the head coaching job in Jacksonville.[86]
Atlanta exploded out of the gate, going a franchise-best 8–0 and remaining the last unbeaten team in the NFL that year.[87] Their hopes to get an undefeated season came to an end with a 27–31 loss to the division rival Saints. Julio Jones had a remarkable second year, grabbing 10 touchdowns and 1,198 yards. The Falcons finished the season 13–3, and clinched the number one seed in the NFC playoffs.[88][89]
The Falcons played theSeattle Seahawks in their first playoff game. Although they went down 28–27 with only 31 seconds left on the clock,Matt Ryan led the team to their first playoff victory, 30–28.[90] It was the only playoff victory in the Mike Smith era.
The Atlanta Falcons then advanced to face theSan Francisco 49ers. The Falcons seized control of the game early with aMatt Bryant field goal, a trio of Matt Ryan touchdown passes caught byJulio Jones andTony Gonzalez coupled with outstanding defensive play. By the end of the half, the score was 24–14. The tides of the game began to shift in the second half as the 49ers rallied back with a pair ofFrank Gore touchdown runs. Atlanta's offense attempted to reply but were ultimately shut down by the 49er defense. A few series later, late in the 4th quarter with little time remaining, Atlanta found themselves in a 4th and 4 situation at the 10-yard line. The Falcons needed just 10 more yards to secure victory and advance to their first Super Bowl berth in 14 years. Matt Ryan fired a pass toRoddy White which was ultimately broken up by inside linebackerNaVorro Bowman, resulting in a 28–24 defeat.[91]
Following the success of the previous season, the Falcons were an expected Super Bowl contender. However, injuries hampered the team's performance and the team finished the season 4–12.[92] With that, the streak of consecutive winning seasons came to an end andMike Smith had his first losing season as a head coach.Tony Gonzalez, in his final season in the NFL, was selected to the2014 Pro Bowl as a starter representing Team Rice. Following the conclusion of the 2012 season, director of player personnelLes Snead departed the team to join theSt. Louis Rams andDave Caldwell, assistant to general managerThomas Dimitroff, left the team to join theJacksonville Jaguars.Scott Pioli, former GM of theKansas City Chiefs, was announced as the Falcons' new assistant GM. Mike Smith was given a one-year extension on his contract as head coach. The Falcons had the 6th overall pick in the2014 NFL draft with which they selectedJake Matthews, who played as offensive tackle forTexas A&M.[93]
Despite having another rough season, the Falcons still had an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs at the end of the regular season. The Falcons hosted theCarolina Panthers in their regular season finale, with the winners clinching theNFC South division. Unfortunately, the Falcons lost in a 34–3 blowout asMatt Ryan threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns and got sacked six times. The Falcons finished the season 6–10, marking the second consecutive losing season for the team.[94] The following day,Mike Smith was fired after seven seasons as head coach.[95] The Falcons would soon hireSeattle Seahawks defensive coordinatorDan Quinn as the team's 16th head coach.[96] The Falcons had the 8th overall pick in the2015 NFL draft with which they selectedVic Beasley, a defensive end from Clemson University.[97]
In February 2015, the team was investigated by the NFL for alleged use ofartificial crowd noise in the Georgia Dome.[98] The Falcons lost a2016 NFL draft selection as a result of the league's investigation.[99]
Dan Quinn's first season saw a 5–0 start, the team's best start in four years. They would then struggle throughout the rest of the season by losing 8 of their last 11 games, resulting in an 8–8 record in the 2015 season.[100] They did, however, give the Panthers their only regular-season loss. The Falcons used their first-round pick in the2016 NFL draft on safetyKeanu Neal from theUniversity of Florida.[101]
In the Falcons' 25th and final season in the Georgia Dome, Atlanta lost their week 1 game to the Buccaneers 24–31. The Falcons would then win their next four including one over the Panthers, when the franchise set new records: Matt Ryan threw for 503 yards, and Julio Jones caught 12 passes for 300 yards.[102] Beating theSan Francisco 49ers 41–13 in Week 15, the Falcons improved to 9–5 and secured their first winning season since 2012. One week later, the Falcons defeated the Panthers inCharlotte, North Carolina, and clinched their first NFC South division title since 2012. In their last regular-season game at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons defeated theNew Orleans Saints, and secured an 11–5 record and a first-round bye.[103]
In the divisional round of the playoffs, Atlanta defeated the Seahawks 36–20 in the Georgia Dome, and hosted their last game at the Georgia Dome against theGreen Bay Packers in theNFC Championship Game on January 22, 2017.[104] The Falcons defeated the Packers 44–21 to advance toSuper Bowl LI as the NFC champions.[105] Atlanta was up 28–3 late in the third quarter, and theNew England Patriots scored 31 unanswered points, with the last 6 in the first-ever overtime in the Super Bowl. The Patriots' 25-point comeback was the largest in Super Bowl history.[106]
In 2016, the Falcons scored 540 points in the regular season, the seventh-most in NFL history, tied with theGreatest Show on Turf (the2000 St. Louis Rams).[107] However, the Falcons defense gave up 406 points, 27th in the league.[108]
The Falcons moved into their new home, theMercedes-Benz Stadium, this season.[109] Their first game ever played at the new stadium was a preseason loss to theArizona Cardinals. The first regular-season game at the new stadium was a rematch of the 2016–17 NFC Championship, with Atlanta defeating Green Bay 34–23.[110] Their first loss of the season was a 23–17 home defeat to theBuffalo Bills in week 4.[111] The team returned to the playoffs with a 10–6 record (albeit with a third-place finish in the NFC South). The Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams 26–13 in the Wild Card round, but their 2017 season came to an end a week later in the Divisional Playoff round at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 15–10.[112][113] The 2018 and 2019 seasons saw the Falcons go 7–9 and miss the postseason both years.[114][115]
In their first game with new uniforms, the Falcons lost to the Seattle Seahawks at home 38–25.[116] The Falcons then suffered comebacks made by both the Cowboys on the road (39–40) and then back in Atlanta against the Bears (26–30).[117][118] On October 11, after the team suffered a 23–16 loss at home against the Carolina Panthers and fell to 0–5, the Falcons announced the firings of Quinn and Dimitroff.[119] Defensive coordinatorRaheem Morris took over for the rest of the season, leading the team to a 4–12 record.[120] Morris was not retained after the season, and soon joined the Los Angeles Rams as their defensive coordinator.[121]
On January 15, 2021, the Falcons announced thatTennessee Titans offensive coordinatorArthur Smith had been named the 18th head coach in franchise history.[122] Four days later, New Orleans Saints executive Terry Fontenot was named the Falcons' new general manager.[123] Tight endKyle Pitts was selected with the 4th pick of the 2021 draft, and longtime star receiver Julio Jones was traded to the Titans, after publicly requesting a trade from Atlanta.[124][125] The Falcons improved on their record from the prior year, finishing the season with a 7–10 record.[126]
On March 21, 2022, the Falcons traded longtime star quarterback Matt Ryan to theIndianapolis Colts.[127] During the 2022 season, the team finished last place in the NFC South with a 7–10 record.[128]
The Falcons entered the 2023 seasons with heightened expectations after draftingTexas running backBijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick of the2023 draft and making significant improvements in free agency, including signingJessie Bates andCalais Campbell to improve their defense.[129] However, the team finished with a 7–10 record for the third consecutive season, although they had been in contention for a playoff spot until the final day of the season before a 48–17 loss to theNew Orleans Saints on January 7, 2024.[130] The following day, Smith was fired after three years as head coach.[131]
On January 25, 2024, the Falcons announced Raheem Morris's return to the organization, this time as the 19th head coach in Falcons history.[132] During the early months of his tenure, Morris faced scrutiny and criticism for his questionable player selection decisions.[133]
The Falcons have called three stadiums home in their 51 years of existence, and its third home in their history opened in the late summer of 2017. The first was theAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium, sharing with theAtlanta BravesMajor League Baseball team until 1991. In 1992, theGeorgia Dome was built, and the Falcons played there from its opening to the 2016 season. The Dome has been frequently used forcollege football, includingGeorgia State football and college bowl games such as thePeach Bowl.
In an effort to replace the aging Georgia Dome and potentially host a futureSuper Bowl, team owner Arthur Blank proposed a deal with the city of Atlanta to build a new state-of-the-art stadium not far from where the Georgia Dome is located. Blank will contribute $800 million and the city of Atlanta will contribute an additional $200 million via bonds backed by the city's hotel/motel tax towards the construction of a retractable roof stadium. Blank will contribute additional money for cost overruns if it is needed. The team will provide up to $50 million towards infrastructure costs that weren't included in the construction budget and to retire the remaining debt on the Georgia Dome. In addition, Blank's foundation and the city will each provide $15 million for development in surrounding neighborhoods. Though the total cost of the stadium was initially estimated to be around $1 billion,[134] the total cost was revised to $1.5 billion according to Blank.[135] In March 2013, the Atlanta City Council voted 11–4 in favor of building the stadium.[136] The retractable roofMercedes-Benz Stadium broke ground in May 2014, and became the third home stadium for the Falcons and the first for the newAtlanta United FCMajor League Soccer club upon opening in 2017.[137]
The Atlanta Falcons' colors are black, red, silver and white.[138] When the team began play in1966, the Falcons wore red helmets with a black falcon crest logo. In the center of the helmet was a center black stripe surrounded by two gold stripes and two white stripes. These colors represented the two college rival schools in the state of Georgia; rival schoolsGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets (white and gold) and theGeorgia Bulldogs (red and black). Although the gold was removed after several seasons, the white remains to this day. They wore white pants and either black or white jerseys. At first, the falcon crest logo was also put on the jersey sleeves, but it was replaced by a red and white stripe pattern four years later. They switched from black to red jerseys in 1971, and the club began to wear silver pants in 1978. The facemasks on the helmets were initially gray, becoming white in 1978, and then black in 1984; the team wore black face masks until its 2020 redesign.
A prototype white helmet was developed for the team prior to the1974 season, but was never worn.
In1990, the uniform design changed to black helmets, silver pants, and either black or white jerseys.[139] The numbers on the white jerseys were black, but were changed to red in1997. (The red numerals could be seen on the away jerseys briefly in 1990.)
Both the logo and uniforms changed in2003. The logo was redesigned with red and silver accents to depict a more powerful, aggressive falcon, which now more closely resembles the capital letterF.[53][140]
Although the Falcons still wore black helmets, the new uniforms featured jerseys and pants with red trim down the sides. The uniform design consisted of either black or white jerseys, and either black or white pants. During that same year, a red alternate jersey with black trim was also introduced. The Falcons also started wearing black cleats with these uniforms.[141]
In2004, the red jerseys became the primary jerseys, and the black ones became the alternate, both worn with white pants. In select road games, the Falcons wear black pants with white jerseys. The Falcons wore an all-black combination for home games against their archrivals, theNew Orleans Saints, winning the first two contests (24–21 in2004 and 36–17 in2005), but losing 31–13 in2006. The Falcons wore the all-black combination against the New Orleans Saints for four straight seasons starting in 2004, With the last time being in 2007, losing 34–14. They wore the combination again in 2006, against theTampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. The Falcons won that game, 14–3. The Falcons also wore their all-black uniform in 2007 against the New York Giants, and in 2008 against the Carolina Panthers and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (for the second time). After that, the black pants and uniforms were retired and the white pants were now used full-time with the regular uniforms.
In the 1980s, the Falcons wore their white uniforms at home most of the time because of the heat. When the Falcons started playing in a dome, the team switched to their dark uniforms for home games but have worn their white uniforms at home a few times since switching to the dome. It was announced at the 2009 state of the franchise meeting that the Falcons would wear 1966 throwback uniforms for a couple games during the 2009 season. The Atlanta Falcons wore 1966 throwback jerseys for two home games in 2009 – against the Carolina Panthers on September 20 and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 29. The Falcons won both of those games. They donned the throwbacks again for 2 games in 2010, against Baltimore and San Francisco, winning both of those games as well. The throwbacks were used twice in 2011 and 2012; both times were against the Panthers and Saints. However, the throwbacks were retired following a 2013 NFL rule requiring only one helmet shell per team.
The Falcons unveiled an all-redColor Rush uniform on September 13, 2016; however, due to the fact that the Falcons and theTampa Bay Buccaneers had similar all-red Color Rush uniforms, the Falcons were unable to wear their Color Rush uniform until the 2017 season.[142][143]
Also in 2016, the Falcons unveiled a mixed throwback uniform set. The uniform tops, pants and socks closely resembled their 1960s kits. From 2016 to 2021, due to the NFL's one-shell rule, the Falcons wore the black helmets with the original logo decal similar to the design they wore in the 1990s. However, starting in 2022, with the NFL now reinstating the use of alternate helmets, the Falcons brought back the original red helmets to pair with their throwback uniforms.[144]
It was revealed in January 2020 that the Falcons will change uniforms for the2020 NFL season.[145] The ensuing design featured the return to black as the primary home uniform color for the first time since 2003. Both the primary home and road uniforms featured the "ATL" abbreviation in red above either white or black numbers with red drop shadows. The white and black tops are usually paired with either white or black pants. The alternate uniform featured a red/black gradient design and also featured the "ATL" abbreviation in white above white numbers with black drop shadows. Black pants are only used with this uniform. All three uniforms feature red side stripes. The current throwback uniform was also retained. In addition, the Falcons switched to matte helmets with the enlarged falcon logo and gray facemasks.[146] The red/black gradient alternates only lasted three seasons before it was removed from the uniform rotation in 2023.[147]
The Falcons have shared a heated divisional rivalry with theNew Orleans Saints (first the NFC West, and now the NFC South). The two teams were often basement-dwellers in the division; but the rivalry grew as a means of pride between the two cities, as they were the only two NFL teams in theDeep South for multiple decades. The series is the oldest and most iconic rivalry in the NFC South as the two teams have long harbored bad blood against one another.[148] The series is currently tied at 55–55, including the most recent loss to the Saints on January 7, 2024, when the Falcons lost 48–17.[149]
In addition, the Falcons share a similar, rivalry with theCarolina Panthers, with both teams having been in theNFC West from the Panthers' founding in 1995 to the NFL realignment in 2002. Similar to their rivalry with the Saints, the Falcons have often endured several competitive divisional battles with the Panthers for lead of theNFC South, though the two have yet to meet in the postseason. The series is also known as the "I-85 Rivalry"[150] due toAtlanta andCharlotte being only four hours apart onInterstate 85.[151][152] The Falcons lead the series 36–22.[153]
The Falcons share a less-intense divisional rivalry with theTampa Bay Buccaneers since the NFL realignment in 2002. The two had been regional opponents but very little had linked any further animosity towards the two as the Buccaneers played in the formerNFC Central before the realignment.[154][155][156] The two teams would find themselves competing over staff and players alike, particularly during the 2000s after the Falcons had lured general managerRich McKay after winningSuper Bowl XXXVII the season prior.[157] McKay's ties with Tampa extend into his family as his fatherJohn McKay was head coach of the Buccaneers for nine seasons.[158][159][160][161]
The Eagles lead the Falcons 21–15–1, with a 3–1 lead in playoff games.[162] The rivalry first emerged after the Falcons upset the Eagles 14–13 in the1978 Wild Card Round,[163] and only intensified further in the 2000s thanks to the rivalry between prominentdual-threat quarterbacksDonovan McNabb, andMichael Vick. Recently, the Falcons lost to the Eagles in the2017 divisional round.[164][165][166] The Falcons managed a win againstPhilly in week 2 en route to Philly's eventualSuper Bowl LIX victory.
The Falcons have also shared a playoff rivalry with theGreen Bay Packers as much of the connections between the two teams stems from Atlanta trading future hall-of-fame quarterbackBrett Favre to the Green Bay on February 11, 1992, in exchange for a first-round pick.[167][168] The two teams have met four times in the postseason, most recently during the2016–17 NFC Championship as it would also be the final game played at theGeorgia Dome.[169][170][171] The Packers lead the all-time series 19–16, while both teams are tied in the postseason 2–2.[172]
Includes postseason records[173]
Source:[174]
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Team | W | L | T | Percent | Last result | Last date | Last locale | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 16 | 0 | .500 | W 20-19 | January 1, 2023 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 0–1 postseason |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | L 16–26 | December 2, 2018 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 6 | 0 | .538 | L 15–29 | January 2, 2022 | Highmark Stadium | |
| Carolina Panthers | 38 | 20 | 0 | .655 | W 38–20 | October 14, 2024 | Bank of America Stadium | |
| Chicago Bears | 14 | 15 | 0 | .483 | W 27–24 | November 20, 2022 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | L 36–37 | September 30, 2018 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Cleveland Browns | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | W 23–20 | November 11, 2022 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 17 | 0 | .414 | W 27-21 | November 3, 2024 | AT&T Stadium | 0–2 postseason |
| Denver Broncos | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | W 34–27 | November 8, 2020 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 0–1 postseason |
| Detroit Lions | 14 | 25 | 0 | .359 | W 20–16 | December 26, 2021 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Green Bay Packers | 15 | 17 | 0 | .469 | W 25–24 | September 17, 2023 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 2–2 postseason |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | L 32–53 | October 6, 2019 | NRG Stadium | |
| Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 15 | 0 | .118 | L 24–27 | September 22, 2019 | Lucas Oil Stadium | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | W 21–14 | November 28, 2021 | TIAA Bank Field | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | L 14–17 | December 27, 2020 | Arrowhead Stadium | |
| San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | L 17–20 | December 13, 2020 | SoFi Stadium | |
| St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams | 28 | 48 | 2 | .372 | L 10–37 | October 20, 2019 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 2–0 postseason |
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | W 30–28 | October 24, 2021 | Hard Rock Stadium | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 11 | 19 | 0 | .367 | W 40–23 | October 18, 2020 | US Bank Stadium | 1–1 postseason |
| New England Patriots | 6 | 9 | 0 | .400 | L 0–25 | November 18, 2021 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 0–1 postseason |
| New Orleans Saints | 55 | 52 | 0 | .514 | W 26–24 | September 29, 2024 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 1–0 postseason |
| New York Giants | 15 | 11 | 0 | .577 | W 17–14 | December 22, 2024 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 0–1 postseason |
| New York Jets | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | W 13–8 | December 3, 2023 | MetLife Stadium | |
| Las Vegas/Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | W 15–9 | December 16, 2024 | Allegiant Stadium | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 15 | 18 | 1 | .456 | w 22-21 | September 16, 2024 | Lincoln Financial Field | 1–3 postseason |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 14 | 1 | .147 | L 17–41 | October 7, 2018 | Heinz Field | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 32 | 47 | 1 | .406 | W 28–14 | October 16, 2022 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 1–1 postseason |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 12 | 0 | .368 | W 25–38 | September 25, 2022 | Lumen Field | 2–0 postseason |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 30 | 29 | 0 | .508 | W 31-26 | October 27, 2024 | Raymond James Stadium | |
| Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | L 10–24 | September 29, 2019 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Washington Commanders | 10 | 15 | 1 | .404 | L 30–34 | October 3, 2021 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 0–1 postseason |
| Total | 393 | 455 | 6 | .464 | 10–14 (.417) |
| Atlanta Falcons Hall of Famers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Year inducted |
| 8 | Tommy McDonald | WR | 1967 | 1998 |
| 29 | Eric Dickerson | RB | 1993 | 1999 |
| 21 | Deion Sanders | CB | 1989–1993 | 2011 |
| 56 | Chris Doleman | DE | 1994–1995 | 2012 |
| 87 | Claude Humphrey | DE | 1968–1978 | 2014[198] |
| 4 | Brett Favre | QB | 1991 | 2016 |
| 5 | Morten Andersen | K | 1995–2000 2006–2007 | 2017 |
| 88 | Tony Gonzalez | TE | 2009–2013 | 2019 |
| 93 | Dwight Freeney | DE | 2016 | 2024 |
| 17 | Devin Hester | KR/WR | 2014–2015 | 2024 |
| Coaches & Contributors | ||||
| Name | Position(s) | Tenure | Inducted | |
| Bobby Beathard | Scout | 1968–1971 | 2018[199] | |
Humphrey is the only person in the Hall of Fame who spent the majority of his career with the Falcons.
Fourteen members are included in the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor.[200][201][202][203]
| Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Arthur M. Blank | Owner | 2002–present | 2024 |
| 2 | Matt Ryan | QB | 2008–2021 | 2024 |
| 10 | Steve Bartkowski | QB | 1975–1985 | 2004 |
| 21 | Deion Sanders | CB | 1989–1993 | 2010 |
| 28 | Warrick Dunn | RB | 2002–2007 | 2017 |
| 31 | William Andrews | RB | 1979–1983, 1986 | 2004 |
| 42 | Gerald Riggs | RB | 1982–1988 | 2013 |
| 57 | Jeff Van Note | C | 1969–1986 | 2006 |
| 58 | Jessie Tuggle | LB | 1987–2000 | 2004 |
| 60 | Tommy Nobis | LB | 1966–1976 | 2004 |
| 62 | Todd McClure | C | 1999–2012 | 2022 |
| 78 | Mike Kenn | T | 1978–1994 | 2008 |
| 84 | Roddy White | WR | 2005–2015 | 2019[204] |
| 87 | Claude Humphrey | DE | 1968–1978 | 2008 |
In the team's history, the Falcons have had the number one overall pick four times.[205]
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In their history, the Atlanta Falcons have had 18 head coaches. Five coaches have served in interim roles[206][207]
| Coach | Years | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norb Hecker | 1966–1968 | 4–26–1(.145) | Fired after three games in 1968. |
| Norm Van Brocklin | 1968–1974 | 39–48–3(.450) | Fired after eight games in 1974. |
| Marion Campbell | 1974–1976 | 6–19(.240) | Fired after five games in 1976. |
| Pat Peppler | 1976 | 3–6(.333) | Interim head coach. |
| Leeman Bennett | 1977–1982 | 46–41(.529) | |
| Dan Henning | 1983–1986 | 22–41–1(.352) | |
| Marion Campbell | 1987–1989 | 11–36(.234) | Retired after 12 games in 1989. |
| Jim Hanifan | 1989 | 0–4(.000) | Interim head coach. |
| Jerry Glanville | 1990–1993 | 27–37(.422) | |
| June Jones | 1994–1996 | 19–29(.396) | |
| Dan Reeves | 1997–2003 | 49–59–1(.454) | |
| Wade Phillips | 2003 | 2–1(.667) | Interim head coach. |
| Jim Mora | 2004–2006 | 26–22(.542) | |
| Bobby Petrino | 2007 | 3–10(.231) | Resigned after 13 games to take over the head coaching job atArkansas. |
| Emmitt Thomas | 2007 | 1–2(.333) | Interim head coach. |
| Mike Smith | 2008–2014 | 66–46(.589) | |
| Dan Quinn | 2015–2020 | 43–42(.506) | Fired after 5 games in 2020. |
| Raheem Morris | 2020 | 4–7(.364) | Interim head coach. |
| Arthur Smith | 2021–2023 | 21–30(.412) | |
| Raheem Morris | 2024–present | 8–9(.471) |
|
| |||||
The Falcons' flagship radio station isWZGC 92.9 The Game.[208]Wes Durham, son of longtimeNorth Carolina Tar Heels voiceWoody Durham, is the Falcons' play-by-play announcer, with former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and pro football veteran,Dave Archer serving as color commentator.[209][210]
In 2014,The CW affiliateWUPA became the official television station of the Falcons, gaining rights to its preseason games, which are produced byCBS Sports.[211]
In the regular season, the team's games are seen on Fox's O&O affiliateWAGA. When the Falcons challenge an AFC team, CBS affiliateWANF will air those games while Sunday night games are televised onWXIA, the local NBC affiliate.
Source:[212]
| City | Call sign | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Albany | WSRA-AM | 1250 AM |
| Athens | WRFC-AM | 960 AM |
| Atlanta | WZGC-FM (Flagship) | 92.9 FM |
| Brunswick | WSFN-AM | 790 AM |
| Clarkesville | WDUN-FM | 102.9 FM |
| Columbus | WDAK-AM | 540 AM |
| WBOJ | 1270 AM | |
| Dalton | WBLJ-AM | 1230 AM |
| Douglas | WDMG-AM | 860 AM |
| Gainesville | WDUN | 550 AM |
| Griffin | WKEU-AM | 1450 AM |
| WKEU-FM | 88.9 FM | |
| Hogansville | WGST-AM | 720 AM |
| Jesup | WLOP-AM | 1370 AM |
| WIFO-FM | 105.5 FM | |
| LaGrange | WMGP-FM | 98.1 FM |
| Louisville | WPEH-AM | 1420 AM |
| WPEH-FM | 92.1 FM | |
| Macon | WXKO-AM | 1150 AM |
| Milledgeville | WMVG-AM | 1450 AM |
| Newnan | WRZX | 1400 AM |
| Sandersville | WJFL-FM | 101.9 FM |
| Savannah | WSEG-AM | 1400 AM |
| WSEG-FM | 104.3 FM | |
| Statesboro | WPTB-AM | 850 AM |
| Swainsboro | WJAT-AM | 800 AM |
| Thomaston | WTGA-FM | 101.1 FM |
| Toccoa | WNEG-AM | 630 AM |
| Valdosta | WVGA | 105.9 FM |
| Vidalia | WVOP-AM | 970 AM |
| Waycross | WFNS-AM | 1350 AM |
| City | Call sign | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Foley | WHEP-AM | 1310 AM |
| City | Call sign | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson | WYAB-FM | 103.9 FM[213] |
| City | Call sign | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson | WCCP-FM | 104.9 FM[214] |
| City | Call sign | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | WALV-FM | 95.3 FM[215] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The month-long saga has finally come to an end, with the Packers agreeing to trade their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback to the New York Jets, FOXSports.com has learned.
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| Franchise | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture | |
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Wild card / First round berths (8) | |
| Division championships (6) | |
| Conference championships (2) | |
| Ring of Honor | |
| Current league affiliations |
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