Raheem Morris. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Falcons firing HC Raheem Morris won't immediately solve their problems

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 8:19 AM ET

For the second time in five seasons, the Atlanta Falcons have fired a head coach.

The Falcons fired former HC Arthur Smith (now Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator) after he went 21-30 in three seasons with the team. They've now fired his replacement, Raheem Morris, despite Atlanta (8-9) winning its last four games this season.

Morris went 16-18 in two seasons as the team's full-time HC. But like the firing of Smith, this won't solve all the team's problems.

Expect the Falcons to keep miring in mediocrity after firing Raheem Morris

Morris wasn't a brilliant coach, but few coaches could succeed in Atlanta. Since losing Super Bowl LI 34-28 to the New England Patriots during the 2016 season, the Falcons have made just one playoff appearance. They last recorded a winning record during the 2017 season, when they went 10-6.

Sources: Raheem Morris is out as the Falcons head coach. pic.twitter.com/TQEaaQ79oQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026

The Falcons' playoff drought stems from their inability to replace former star quarterback Matt Ryan. Since moving on from the 2016 league MVP after the 2021 season, the Falcons have rotated through multiple QBs, including Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.

This season, Penix went 3-6 in nine starts before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Cousins then replaced him, going 4-3 in seven starts.

The Falcons have also fired general manager Terry Fontenot, who made many baffling decisions throughout his five-year tenure. That included taking Penix with pick No. 8 in the 2024 NFL Draft after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180M deal.

Fontenot, however, deserves credit for adding star players, such as third-year running back Bijan Robinson. The two-time Pro Bowler was clearly a fan of Morris.

"I'm going to support Raheem no matter what," Robinson said after a 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. "So, I love him as a big brother, father figure, coach, everything, just go from there."

Firing Morris after a promising late-season surge should upset Robinson. Even more upsetting for the RB is that there isn't a candidate of Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson's caliber in this upcoming cycle. Some of the best candidates are San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Robinson and many other Falcons may be wondering what the front office is doing. It doesn't seem to have a clear vision, leaving the team stuck in rebuilding mode.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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