FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons will host their first game of the 2026 season in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For their home opener, the Falcons will take on the Carolina Panthers in the latest renewal of the I-85 Rivalry. Both teams enter this matchup seeking their first win of the fall, and the Falcons will look to get revenge after the Panthers took both games in this series last year. Carolina lost 59-37 to the Chicago Bears in Week 1, while the Falcons fell 20-13 on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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"Excited to be at home this week versus Carolina, reigning division champs, at our place; we're excited about that," Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I have a ton of respect for [Panthers Head] Coach [Dave] Canales, his entire coaching staff. It's a good team. It's a sound team. They do a lot of things really well. Just getting the tape started on them this morning and with the players, just explaining to them how this team is the reigning champs and what they do well. And it's a lot, so we have a great challenge in front of us."
Here's how you can catch all the action in the Falcons' home opener:
How to Watch Panthers vs. Falcons
What: Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
When: Sunday, September 20
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Falcons' jersey color: Red (Full 2026 uniform schedule)
TV: FOX
Announcers: Tim Brando (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color analyst) and Sarah Kustok (sideline reporter)
Before the game: Join Taylor Vismor, Derek Rackley and Will McFadden for the Atlanta Falcons Pregame Show on Thursdays at 5 p.m. ET on the team's YouTube channel.
Streaming inside the Atlanta market: Fans inside the market can stream the game on FOX One and the FOX One app. The game can also be found on NFL+, and you can get a personalized view of how to watch based on your location.
Streaming outside the Atlanta market: Fans internationally can catch the game on DAZN.
Radio: 92.9 The Game, Westwood One and La Mejor. Those with SiriusXM Radio can listen to games here.
Local announcers: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Dave Archer (color analyst)
This Throwback Thursday, we're taking a look back at the Falcons vs Panthers match-up through history as we gear up for Sunday's game against Carolina in Week 2.
Weather Forecast
Here is the current forecast for Atlanta on Sunday, according to AccuWeather.
Skies: Mostly cloudy
Temperature: 86 degrees
Chance of precipitation: 55%
Humidity: 63%
Wind: SSE 6 mph
