The Atlanta Falcons are preparing to open the 2025 NFL season with a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marking the start of their NFC South campaign. The team has provided several updates regarding player roles, injuries, and expectations ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Elijah Wilkinson will begin the season as the starting right tackle following Kaleb McGary’s year-long absence. Storm Norton could return after Week 5. Speaking about his new role, Wilkinson said, “I’ve been in this role before. It’s go time for me. You never want to see anybody go down, but that’s an opportunity for me to step up.”
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney is recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him throughout preseason. Head coach Raheem Morris labeled Mooney as day-to-day earlier in the week. Addressing local media about his status, Mooney stated he injured the same shoulder that kept him out of last season’s finale and described himself as a “game-time decision” for Sunday’s contest against Tampa Bay.
The team’s injury reports reflect these developments: On Wednesday, September 3rd, Mooney was listed as day-to-day; on Thursday key starters A.J. Terrell and Ray-Ray McCloud were rested; by Friday’s report, Mooney remained questionable while DeMarcco Hellams was ruled out.
Drake London’s performance history against Tampa Bay was highlighted this week. Over six meetings during his first three seasons, London has recorded 569 yards on 42 receptions with one touchdown. Since 2022, he leads all players in both yards and receptions versus the Buccaneers and has posted three of his six career 100-yard games against them.
Fan engagement remains high through various channels including podcasts and roundtable discussions featuring Taylor Vismor, Dave Archer, Tori McElhaney, and D.J. Shockley who examined Atlanta’s offense and defense outlooks for this season.
Six players have been named team captains for 2025 by vote among teammates and will wear captain patches on their uniforms each week.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. summarized the team’s focus heading into Sunday: “We’ve got to come in with that right mindset,” Penix Jr. said. “To come in to make sure that we dominate from the start of the game all the way to the finish and do whatever it takes to make sure that we come out on top.”
Bijan Robinson is approaching franchise milestones: He needs just 82 receiving yards and 68 rushing yards to become Atlanta’s fastest player to reach both 2,500 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards—a record previously held by William Andrews at 38 games played—while also tying Saquon Barkley for most games (18) with over 100 scrimmage yards since being drafted in 2023.
Recent matchups between Atlanta and Tampa Bay have been closely contested; each of their last four games has been decided by six points or fewer—the first such streak in their rivalry’s history spanning over sixty meetings.
Since early 2022, Atlanta holds a strong record at home within its division (6-3), scoring at least 24 points in each contest—marking their longest such streak ever.
