While the Falcons will open the exhibition season against Julio Jones and the Tennessee Titans, they will not hold joint practices with coach Arthur Smith’s former team.
The Falcons will hold joint practices with the Miami Dolphins. The Falcons and Dolphins are set to play in the second exhibition game at 8 p.m. Aug. 21 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, the Falcons were in discussions to hold joint practices with the Dolphins and the Bills before the NFL closed its facilities in the midst of the pandemic.
The Falcons were scheduled to play exhibition games against the Dolphins and Bills in 2020.
Former coach Dan Quinn was open to participating in joint practices after the team’s slow starts (1-7 in 2019 and 1-4 in 2018). Last season, they started 0-5 and Quinn was fired.
In the past, the Falcons have used joint practices to help them evaluate their offensive and defensive lines against NFL competition. The team regularly held joint practices under former coach Mike Smith.
The Falcons have held joint practices with the Patriots, Bengals, Titans and Jaguars in the past. The key for joint practices is that both teams have a mutual respect and the scrimmages don’t erupt into fights.