According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Atlanta Falcons are firing head coach Raheem Morris.
Sources: Raheem Morris is out as the Falcons head coach. pic.twitter.com/TQEaaQ79oQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026
There seemed to be a growing belief heading into the Falcons Week 18 matchup with the Saints that Raheem Morris might have done enough over the last three weeks, winning three straight games, to retain his position for one more season. Another victory on Sunday only strengthened that case, but not even that was enough to buy him more time.
Following the win, Falcons players made it clear in unison that they wanted Morris back for the 2026 campaign. You will not find a single person in that building willing to say a negative word about him. Everybody who has worked with him, not just in Atlanta, adores him.
The problem? Raheem Morris is just not a good head coach.
This was not his first rodeo. He already failed in Tampa Bay, compiling a 17-31 record before being fired. The hope was that his years around the league since then would lead to a different outcome, but he failed at nearly every turn for the Falcons.
There was not a single redeeming quality to Morris’ tenure in Atlanta. He botched the quarterback situation last season when Kirk Cousins was injured. He mishandled the Younghoe Koo situation. His clock management and timeout usage were consistently poor, and all three of his initial coordinator hires were abject failures. The Falcons had every opportunity to make the postseason in each of the last two seasons, and Morris got in the way. The only thing he did to strengthen his case was win four meaningless games after the team had already fallen to 4-9 and was out of playoff contention.
Additionally, Adam Schefter reports that Terry Fontenot has also been relieved of his duties.
Falcons also fired GM Terry Fontenot. pic.twitter.com/lKdu8VfEWl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026
Terry Fontenot spent five seasons as the Falcons general manager and failed to deliver a single winning season. There were many who believed he might have earned himself another year because of his most recent draft class, which was undoubtedly a home run and one of the best in the league this year.
However, when you zoom out and look at Fontenot’s draft record in its entirety, it was nothing short of dismal. He was also largely responsible for the hiring of Raheem Morris, and the quarterback debacle he created by signing Kirk Cousins and then drafting Michael Penix Jr. just weeks later could not have backfired any worse.
This is a cutthroat league, and the fact Fontenot lasted this long without producing a single winning season is shocking. His parting gifts will be Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., and Xavier Watts — three rookies who look like they will be staples of the Falcons defense for years to come.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
