Atlanta Falcons: Sixty Seasons of Rise Up

A franchise born in the 1960s

The NFL awarded Atlanta a franchise on June 30, 1965, and the Falcons kicked off their first season in 1966. Their very first draft choice, taken first overall, was Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis, a tough and tireless tackler who became the face of the young team and the original Falcons star.

Home has moved three times. The Falcons played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966 to 1991, moved indoors to the Georgia Dome in 1992, and opened the 2017 season next door at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the downtown venue they still share with Atlanta United.

The Dirty Bird season

The 1998 Falcons remain one of the most beloved teams in city history. Coached by Dan Reeves, they went 14-2, with quarterback Chris Chandler throwing deep and running back Jamal Anderson carrying the offense. Anderson's flapping end zone celebration, the Dirty Bird, became a citywide dance craze.

In the NFC Championship Game the Falcons stunned the Minnesota Vikings 30-27 in overtime in Minneapolis, with Morten Andersen kicking the winning field goal. Two weeks later, on January 31, 1999, Atlanta played in its first Super Bowl but fell to the Denver Broncos 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Matty Ice and Super Bowl LI

Matt Ryan spent 14 years as the Falcons' starting quarterback and holds most of the team's passing records. His best year came in 2016, when he was named NFL MVP and the Falcons went 11-5 behind one of the most explosive offenses in the league.

That run ended in Super Bowl LI in Houston on February 5, 2017. Atlanta led the New England Patriots 28-3 in the third quarter before a historic comeback sent the game to overtime, the first Super Bowl ever decided that way, and New England won 34-28. Owner Arthur Blank, who bought the team in 2002, has been chasing that first title ever since.

A new era in 2026

After an 8-9 finish in 2025 and an eighth straight season without a playoff berth, the Falcons parted ways with head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. Ryan came home in January 2026 as the club's first president of football, and the team hired Kevin Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year from his time in Cleveland, as head coach, with Ian Cunningham as general manager.

The quarterback room got a shake-up too. Veteran Tua Tagovailoa joined in free agency and started the 2026 opener, while Michael Penix Jr. worked back from a torn ACL suffered in November 2025. Penix returned as the starter in Week 3 and, with Bijan Robinson running for 194 yards, the Falcons beat the Packers 35-14 at Lambeau Field for Stefanski's first win. Atlanta sat at 1-2 heading into an early October trip to New Orleans.

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