Entering the offseason, expectations for the upcoming season were unclear because the Falcons could’ve gone in several different directions with their head coaching search and subsequent quarterback search.
Arthur Blank and the search committee casted a wide net into the hiring pool, interviewing candidates who’d never been a head coach like Bobby Slowik and Ben Johnson as well as proven commodities like Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick.
Eventually, Blank and the Falcons landed on Raheem Morris, who has experience as a head coach but is still relatively young and unproven. However, expectations for Morris were still ambiguous because of Atlanta’s quarterback situation.
The team acknowledged the need to upgrade the position, but that could’ve meant investing in a rookie through the draft or acquiring a veteran to compete right now. The signal caller would dictate expectations, and the Falcons signed the best free agent on the market in Kirk Cousins.
The deal effectively signaled to the rest of the league that Raheem Morris’ team would be going for it. The expectation for the Falcons is to win the NFC South and find some semblance of success in the postseason.
Vegas believes Raheem Morris is set up for success and is in line for an impressive first season as Falcons head coach as the betting favorite to win the 2024-25 Coach of the Year award, edging out Jim Harbaugh.
Who will be the 2024-25 #NFL Coach of the Year?
Raheem Morris (+500)
Jim Harbaugh (+750)
Matt LaFleur (12/1)
DeMeco Ryans (14/1)
Mike Macdonald (16/1)
Dave Canales (16/1)
Jerod Mayo (16/1)
Shane Steichen (16/1)
Jonathan Gannon (16/1)
Sean McVay (18/1)
Antonio Pierce (22/1)
Brian…— Jaime Eisner (@JaimeEisner) March 25, 2024
Prior to the signing of Kirk Cousins, it was reasonable to be optimistic about Morris and the Falcons. A breath of fresh air will do that for a team, but there wasn’t tangible proof that Atlanta’s new head coach would improve upon his predecessor’s results without substantial improvement at the quarterback position. With Cousins, that changes completely. The dynamic of the entire organization has shifted.
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Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire
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