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The Falcons reportedly were hoping to avoid the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina vs. the Saints.
The Atlanta Falcons‘ full 2026 NFL schedule has been released, and now the long wait for the season begins.
One thing that particularly stood out with the schedule release is that the Falcons have three straight weeks of primetime matchups. In Week 3, they will head to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. In Week 4, they will travel to face their bitter rivals, the New Orleans Saints, on Monday Night Football. Finally, in Week 5, they will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.
What is especially interesting about the Week 4 matchup against the Saints is that it coincides with the anniversary of the Superdome’s reopening after Hurricane Katrina on Sept. 25, 2006. That game was also a Monday Night Football contest and saw the Saints blister the Falcons, 23-3, in one of the most emotional games in franchise history.
Reports indicate the Falcons tried to avoid this game that will take place on Oct. 5.
According to The Times-Picayune’s Jeff Duncan, the Falcons requested not to be part of the anniversary matchup.
“I heard the Atlanta Falcons wanted no part of being the opponent for the Saints’ Monday Night Football game, commemorating the 20-year anniversary of the historic ‘Dome-coming’ game in 2006. And the NFL scheduled them for it anyway,” Duncan reported.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis did not hold back in his reaction to the reported request.
“A team specially requesting the NFL not schedule them for an opponent’s specific home game is sooo incredibly soft I’ve never heard of that before,” Sharp said. “‘Please don’t make us play the Saints on Katrina’s 20-year anniversary.’ So the NFL forced Atlanta to play that specific game.”
a team specially requesting the NFL not schedule them for an opponent's specific home game is sooo incredibly soft
I've never heard of that before
"please don't make us play the Saints on Katrina's 20-year anniversary"
so the NFL forced Atlanta to play that specific game 💀💀 https://t.co/TEpC5waHk2
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 15, 2026
The Falcons were going to have to play the Saints on the road at some point during the season regardless, so it is not as though they could avoid New Orleans entirely. Still, it is easy to understand why Atlanta would prefer not to be the opponent in such an emotionally charged setting.
This will likely be another raucous crowd in New Orleans for what is already one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries. Adding the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina only intensifies the atmosphere.
That will be a difficult environment for the Falcons to overcome, much like it was in 2006 when they managed only three points.
And this will also mark the Saints’ first primetime appearance after being left off the national schedule last season.
It could be yet another challenging year of mediocrity for the Falcons, as has been the last several years. No one is quite sure what the quarterback situation will look like besides the fact it will come down between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., with both likely seeing time behind center.
At least Atlanta still has Bijan Robinson, who could very well become one of the best players in the league in 2026, despite the rest of the team’s issues.
Here is the full 2026 Falcons schedule:
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker
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