The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time on Sunday, announcing the firings of both head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, suggesting there was nothing they could have done over the final four weeks to save their jobs and that this decision was likely made the moment they lost to the Jets and were effectively eliminated from playoff contention.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement following the decision. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Blank has not been known for a quick trigger when it comes to firing head coaches and front office personnel. If anything, he holds on far longer than he should, and his close relationship with Raheem Morris was well-documented. Everybody that has had the opportunity to work with the former Falcons head coach loves him, and Blank was no different, so this firing does come as a bit of a surprise, even if it was what the fan base desired.
It would have been easy for Blank to look at the Falcons’ back-to-back 8-9 seasons as slight progress compared to Morris’ predecessor Arthur Smith, who won seven games in each of his three seasons with the team. A lot of excuses could have also been made for Morris, particularly surrounding the quarterback situation that never seemed to improve despite significant investment into the position.
However, at the end of the day, Arthur Blank felt like he was sold a false bill of goods two years ago by his front office when the decision was made to hire Raheem Morris over Bill Belichick, creating a feeling that Blank needed to take back control of his organization.
“The team recently hired Sportology to do a full organizational evaluation — which led to the GM/HC firing,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported. “We’ll see what happens with Rich McKay, but ownership has been frustrated with how things have been run, and changes are happening at all levels.”
Rich McKay, Terry Fontenot, and others led the charge for Morris to be hired over Belichick largely because they were fearful of their own roles within the organization if the eight-time Super Bowl champion took over in Atlanta. Their pitch for Morris came from a place of selfishness, selling Arthur Blank on a vision that was never realistic.
The results were two mid-season collapses with a head coach who always seemed way in over his skis. Morris never showcased a single redeemable quality as a head coach outside of a million-dollar smile and a three-piece suit. The Falcons became the poster boys of what could have been, and Blank finally decided he had enough — not just with Morris, but with all the people who led him down this path and continued an endless cycle of misery in Atlanta.
The Falcons owner deserves credit for that. The old Arthur Blank would have held on for one more year, allowing the people around him to peddle fairy tales about how close this team was to glory. He finally took a look in the mirror and now appears ready for significant change. Blank is off to a good start by ridding the organization of Morris and Fontenot, but we will find out just how serious he is when decisions come down on Rich McKay and the others who have been plaguing the organization for far longer than the head coach and general manager.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
