FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons open the 2024 NFL regular season at home against the Steelers on Sept. 8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Arthur Smith is out after back-to-back 7-10 seasons in Atlanta. Raheem Morris, a former Falcons interim head coach and defensive coordinator, who was on the staff of a pair of Super Bowl-winning teams has taken over a team with high hopes for 2024.
Those hopes come from what the Falcons added to the offense, specifically a legitimate starting quarterback in Kirk Cousins after struggling at the position since the Matt Ryan era. Atlanta has not had a winning season since Ryan's heyday seven years ago.
The team is much improved on paper offensively, but rather than adding a pass rusher with the No. 8 overall draft pick as expected, the Falcons took quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who will sit behind Cousins for the foreseeable future. The defense still has plenty of questions, which Morris and new defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake hope to answer.
Here is the 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACKS (3): Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr., Taylor Heinicke