When Is Atlanta’s Bye Week? A Local Fan’s Guide to the Falcons’ Off Week

If you’re an Atlanta sports fan, “When is Atlanta’s bye week?” almost always means one thing:
you’re asking about the Atlanta Falcons’ bye week in the NFL season.

Because NFL schedules change every year, the exact week of the Falcons’ bye is different from season to season. Still, there are clear patterns and easy ways to figure it out quickly if you live in or are visiting Atlanta, Georgia and want to plan around it.

Understanding Atlanta’s Bye Week (Falcons Focus)

In the NFL, a bye week is:

• A scheduled week with no game for a team
• Built into the regular-season schedule
• Meant to give players and coaches a mid-season break for rest, recovery, and extra game planning

For Atlanta, this means the Falcons have one week each regular season with no game.
There is no fixed, permanent bye week for Atlanta; it moves around from year to year.

Typical patterns:

• The Falcons’ bye most often falls between Weeks 5–14 of the NFL schedule.
• It’s set by the league when the full schedule is released in the spring.
• Home games at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium happen on other weeks, but never on the bye week.

How to Find This Year’s Atlanta Bye Week Quickly

Because the bye changes every season, you’ll want to check the current year’s schedule. Here’s how to do that in a practical, Atlanta-focused way.

1. Check the Falcons’ Season Schedule

Look for the list of games by week. The bye week will usually be marked as:

• “Bye”
• “Open date”
• Or you’ll see a missing week where every other week has an opponent listed

📝 Tip for Atlanta locals:
Many printed schedules you’ll see around town (in bars, restaurants, or barbershops) often highlight the bye week because it affects game‑day traffic and viewing events.

2. Use Local Atlanta Sports Sources

In Atlanta, you can usually get the current bye week information through:

• Local sports radio – Stations that often discuss the Falcons’ schedule and bye week:
  • 92.9 The Game (WZGC‑FM)
  • 680 The Fan (WCNN‑AM)
• Local TV sports segments – Sports coverage from:
  • WSB‑TV (Channel 2)
  • 11Alive (WXIA)
  • CBS46 (WANF)
  • FOX 5 Atlanta (WAGA)

These outlets often talk about the bye week when looking ahead to key matchups or mid‑season storylines.

3. Ask at Popular Game‑Day Spots in Atlanta

If you’re visiting Atlanta and want an easy local answer, staff at popular sports bars that focus on Falcons games will usually know the bye week or have the schedule posted, such as:

• Restaurants and bars near Mercedes‑Benz Stadium
• Sports bars in Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, and The Battery Atlanta area

They often plan specials and events around the bye, so it’s in their interest to know it.

Why Atlanta’s Bye Week Matters for Locals and Visitors

The Falcons’ bye week might seem like just a football detail, but in Atlanta it can affect your weekend plans, traffic, and local atmosphere.

Planning Your Atlanta Weekend Around the Bye

If you live in Atlanta:

• You won’t have a home game crowd heading toward Mercedes‑Benz Stadium.
• MARTA trains and buses near the stadium are typically less crowded than on Falcons home game days.
• Downtown parking garages around Northside Dr., Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., and Centennial Olympic Park Dr. are usually less busy.

If you’re visiting Atlanta:

• A bye week is a good time to:
  • Explore downtown attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca‑Cola, and Centennial Olympic Park without game‑day crowds.
  • Visit neighborhoods like Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, or West Midtown without needing to navigate football traffic.
• If you were hoping to attend a Falcons game, you’ll need to pick another weekend that’s not the bye.

Sample Planning View: How the Bye Week Fits into a Season

Even though the exact week changes year to year, the Falcons’ season usually follows this kind of structure:

You can plug the current year’s exact bye week into this framework once you confirm it.

What Else Takes a “Bye Week” in Atlanta?

Most of the time, when someone in Atlanta mentions “the bye week,” they’re referring to the Falcons. Other teams and events may have breaks too, but they’re usually described differently:

• Atlanta United FC (MLS) – They may have off weeks or breaks, but these are generally called off weeks, international breaks, or schedule gaps, not a “bye week” in everyday conversation.
• College football (e.g., Georgia Tech in Midtown) – Also has bye weeks, but fans usually say “Tech’s off this week” or “Tech has a bye”, and it’s not usually confused with the Falcons unless specified.

So unless someone says otherwise, “Atlanta’s bye week” = the Atlanta Falcons’ NFL bye week.

How to Plan Game-Day Alternatives During Atlanta’s Bye

If you’re disappointed there’s no Falcons game, you can still keep a sports or city-focused weekend:

• 🏙 Check out The Home Depot Backyard (next to Mercedes‑Benz Stadium) if it’s open for public use
• 🚶 Walk around Castleberry Hill and nearby neighborhoods without game‑day congestion
• ⚾ If the bye week overlaps with baseball season, look at whether the Atlanta Braves are playing at Truist Park
• 🎟 See if there are other events at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, or Georgia World Congress Center

Quick Recap for Atlanta Residents and Visitors

• Atlanta’s bye week usually means the Atlanta Falcons’ NFL bye week.
• The exact bye week changes every season and is set by the NFL schedule.
• You can find it easily by checking the current Falcons schedule or listening to Atlanta sports media.
• On the bye week:
  • There is no Falcons game.
  • Downtown traffic and crowds around Mercedes‑Benz Stadium are usually lighter.
  • It’s often a good weekend to explore more of Atlanta or watch other teams.

To answer the core question:
Atlanta’s bye week is not a fixed date—each year, check the current Atlanta Falcons schedule to see which week is listed as their bye.