Falcons and Colts will hold joint practices ahead of preseason Week 2 game

Atlanta will continue its annual joint-practice tradition by practicing twice against the Indianapolis Colts ahead of a Week 2 preseason matchup. The Colts are a notable opponent because they faced Atlanta in Germany last season, have front office and coaching uncertainty tied to Daniel Jones, and entered the offseason with limited major roster upgrades despite overall talent. With Atlanta likely using reserves in Week 2 and treating Week 3 as a starter tune-up, the preseason game may be less revealing. The joint practices should provide sharper looks at Atlanta’s run defense versus Jonathan Taylor and at the Falcons’ passing game against a secondary led by Sauce Gardner. The practices also offer a chance to evaluate many new Falcons faces, including a new head coach, offensive staff, and front office leadership. The Week 2 preseason game is scheduled for Saturday, August 22 at 1 p.m.

"Atlanta will keep that tradition alive in 2026 by practicing twice against the Indianapolis Colts ahead of their Week 2 preseason game. The Colts are an interesting opponent for this, as they're a team that saw Atlanta last season in Germany, have a potential last chance front office and coaching staff that has tied their 2026 fortunes to Daniel Jones, and a roster that is clearly talented but did not receive a lot of major upgrades this offseason."

"Because the Falcons seem likely to stick to playing their reserves in Week 2 with Week 3 serving as their preseason tune-up for starters, the actual preseason game might be something of a letdown. The practices, however, should be more lively and will give us some interesting glimpses into how the Falcons' run defense looks against Jonathan Taylor, how this passing game fares against a secondary that has Sauce Gardner, and so forth."

"We have so much to learn about this team, which has dozens of new faces who may make the final roster, a new head coach and offensive coaching staff, and new front office and president of football. Seeing them actually squaring off against other NFL teams, even outside of actual game settings, will help us to better understand what this team can do in 2026. I'll look forward to these joint practices."

"As a reminder, the preseason Week 2 contest will take place on Saturday, August 22 at 1 p.m., making it a somewhat rare afternoon weekend preseason game."

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