Falcons Expect Fixes to New Stadium’s Roof for 2018 Season

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are expecting the retractable roof on Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be "fully operational" for the 2018 season and next year's Super Bowl.

Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay told The Associated Press on Wednesday he expects fixes on the roof by the 2018 season "if not well before." Problems kept the roof closed on the $1.5 billion stadium for most of the 2017 season.

The unique roof, designed to open like a camera lens, was open only for the Falcons' first home regular-season game against Green Bay on Sept. 17. It was closed for all other NFL and college games, including the Peach Bowl, the Southeastern Conference championship game and the national championship game.

The stadium will be home to the 2019 Super Bowl.

McKay says the plan is to have the roof open for more games "as we designed at the beginning."