The 2024 NFL schedule will officially be released Wednesday night, but the Atlanta Falcons’ first-three matchups appear finalized.

The Falcons are slated to begin the season at home for the fourth-consecutive season, hosting former head coach Arthur Smith and the Pittsburgh Steelers inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Smith, who was fired Jan. 8 after three seasons at the helm, and a quartet of former Falcons – running back Cordarrelle Patterson, tight end MyCole Pruitt and receivers Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson – will return to Atlanta on Sept. 8.

Thereafter, the immediate road only gets tougher for the Falcons.

The Falcons Podcast: Watch | Spotify | Apple Pods

Atlanta is slated to travel to Philadelphia for a primetime matchup with the Eagles on Monday Night Football, coming Sept. 16, before returning home to face Patrick Mahomes the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 22, according to WSB Ch. 2.

The contest against Kansas City is expected to be on Sunday Night Football, per 11Alive’s Maria Martin. It marks Atlanta’s first such game since 2019, while its Monday Night Football appearance will be the first since 2020. The team played no primetime games last season.

The Falcons have the easiest strength of schedule based on projected win totals, per Sharp Football Analysis, but their seeing no such glimpses of ease to kick off Raheem Morris’s first season back on the sidelines.

Morris, however, said Tuesday he isn’t particularly concerned with the schedule release.

“A little less exciting probably for coaches because we’re always one game at a time anyway,” Morris said. “But it’s always exciting just for the National Football League just in general. We found a way to make another event and I know it’s exciting for you guys and it’s exciting for us to be out and doing those things and exciting for our community, more importantly and all of our guys.”

The Falcons’ full 17-game schedule will be announced at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The Atlanta Braves received another positive update from third baseman Austin Riley, who exited Sunday’s game with soreness on his side. An MRI revealed that there was just some inflammation and that a move to the injured list would not be necessary.

David O’Brien of The Athletic reported that Riley told manager Brian Snitker that he was feeling much better on Tuesday.

After this news, it is still likely that Riley will return to the lineup this week.

More Braves News:

Chris Sale was dominant as the Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 7-0 to win the series. The Braves are now 6-4 in their last 10 and trail the NL East by two games.

Spencer Schwellenbach, the Braves’ No. 3 prospect, has been promoted to Double-A Mississippi. The 23-year-old has manufactured a 2.53 ERA in High-A Rome this season.

Over the past week, AJ Smith-Shawver has turned in two starts and EJ Exposito has kept his hot streak alive. For more, check out the Braves’ Prospects Weekly Report.

Braves Podcasts:

MLB News:

Houston Astros starter Ronel Blanco was ejected on Tuesday night after a foreign substance check. The glove is being sent to the commissioner’s office.

Minnesota Twins reliever Justin Topa will be shut down for six weeks with a partially-torn patellar tendon in his left knee. There is a surgical option for Topa, but as of right now, he has declined it.

The Milwaukee Brewers placed first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain. He is expected to miss two to four weeks.

The Chicago White Sox moved right-hander Michael Soroka to the bullpen after a tough season in the rotation spot thus far. He has put together a 6.39 ERA in nine starts.

The New York Mets designated two players for assignment in infielder Joey Wendle and reliever Yohan Ramirez.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez began a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.

As he settles in as Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith will reportedly head into familiar territory right away. According to WSB-TV’s Zach Klein, the Steelers will head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons in the season opener.

Smith spent the last three years as the Falcons’ head coach, amassing a 21-30 record before his firing after the 2023 season. He then latched on with the Steelers, where he’ll now work with a quarterback room of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields after some major moves this offseason.

According to Klein, Smith won’t have to wait long to return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Smith spoke about his tenure in Atlanta after taking over in Pittsburgh earlier this offseason, pointing out the need to build the roster from scratch during his time at the helm.

“It was a unique situation, essentially rebuilding a team” Smith said, via Falcon Report’s Daniel Flick. “There were some good lessons learned. It was a tough lesson, but it’ll help me here, especially with some of the young players here that we have, and how you fit the offense and try to play to those guys’ strengths.”

Pittsburgh and Atlanta both made major moves at the quarterback position this offseason. Wilson is coming in as the expected starter for the Steelers this year with Fields as his backup while the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative contract and selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Raheem Morris is now at the helm for Atlanta, as well.

Chiefs, Ravens to kick off 2024 NFL season

The full NFL schedule is set to be revealed Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET, but some games have already been announced. That includes the first game of the year, which will see the two-time defending champions in a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship.

The Super Bowl LVIII-winning Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Baltimore Ravens in a highly anticipated matchup to start the year. The 2024 NFL season begins on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Baltimore 1-3 against the Chiefs with quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes under center. Last time the Chiefs and Ravens were face-to-face, Kansas City won 17-10 and advanced to the championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Nikki Chavanelle contributed to this report.