All the latest buzz on Raheem Morris’ future with the Falcons

In no more than a few days, we will know the fate of Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris. It’s possible both will be replaced at season’s end, but at least a couple of highly reputable NFL insiders suggest Arthur Blank could surprise everybody by keeping Morris and moving on from Fontenot.

That assumption stems from the Falcons’ recent run of play. They’ve won three straight games, two of which came against playoff contenders, finishing strong and continuing to prove they never quit on their head coach. It also helps that Morris is in just his second season leading the team, while Fontenot has been heading Atlanta’s front office for five years.

“All that isn’t to say everyone’s safe. But the winning streak will likely help coach Raheem Morris, in his second year, more than GM Terry Fontenot, who’s in his fifth year (Atlanta last made the playoffs in 2018),” Albert Breer reports for Sports Illustrated. “If there’s a GM change, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham would be a name to watch, given the close relationship between Ryan and Chicago GM Ryan Poles, who was a lineman for the quarterback at Boston College 20 years ago.”

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini echoed those same sentiments, also noting that Matt Ryan could play a significant role in what happens next if he accepts a role in the Falcons front office.

“That work is expected to be weighed alongside the organization’s internal evaluations: two seasons (and a 15-18 record) under coach Raheem Morris, five seasons under Fontenot, how this year has unfolded, the perceived state of the roster and the franchise’s overall team-building approach,” Russini reports. “Many around the league expect the Falcons to move on from Fontenot and stick with Morris as coach. One potential added voice to the mix? Former quarterback Matt Ryan, who is in talks to return to the organization in a front-office role.”

The idea that Morris could be kept while Fontenot might already have one foot out the door is a wild way to operate. Morris has not shown he has the slightest idea of what it takes to lead a playoff contender. He has failed in almost every aspect a head coach is responsible for in his first two seasons — botching the team’s quarterback situation, the kicking situation, showcasing horrendous clock management, and whiffing on all three of his initial coordinator hires. Morris has played a major role in why the Falcons have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons while bringing almost nothing positive to the table.

That’s not to say Terry Fontenot is free of blame. He should have been fired a couple of offseasons ago when the Falcons opted to move on from Arthur Smith after his horrendous work in the draft. He then led the organization into one of the most absurd quarterback debacles of all time when he signed Kirk Cousins and turned around and drafted Michael Penix Jr. just a few weeks later.

However, this past offseason was easily his best work to date, thanks to a draft class that might have been the best in the entire league. He put a team together that should have won the NFC South.

But the biggest reason moving on from Terry Fontenot while holding onto Raheem Morris makes absolutely no sense is this: what kind of competent general manager candidate is going to be eager to accept a position where he doesn’t have the power to bring in his own head coach, the quarterback has already been drafted for him, and the Falcons don’t even own a first-round pick in the upcoming draft?

It’s backwards logic at the very least, but Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler aren’t completely convinced Morris’ job is safe entering Week 18.

“Atlanta still seems like a spot to watch, given how far short of expectations the Falcons have fallen with Raheem Morris,” Graziano writes for ESPN.

“Morris has helped himself a bit over the past three games, but I’m not sure it’s enough,” Fowler continues.

The idea that a meaningless Week 18 matchup against the 6-11 Saints could ultimately determine whether Raheem Morris keeps his job for another year is comical from all fronts, but that’s exactly how the Falcons have been operating this franchise for a decade, and it’s why they continue to fall short of expectations.

I called how the 2025 campaign would play out a year ago if the Falcons continued to roll with Morris as head coach, and nothing is going to change in year three if he’s retained.

The reality.

Falcons will keep Raheem Morris. They'll be better next year. And he'll screw up with much more on the line. Book it.

— SportsTalkATL.com (@SportsTalkATL) December 30, 2024

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Photo: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire

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