Falcons HC Raheem Morris may have to do this to keep his job

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris became the subject of some hot-seat rumors as the club fell to 4-9 after Week 14. 

However, that was before the Falcons earned three straight victories when they otherwise could have punted on the remainder of what is essentially a lost season for the franchise. 

On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared that he is "not sure" that adding three wins to his resume has Morris completely safe heading into Week 18.

Raheem Morris can't run it back with same staff in 2026

"The Falcons have not quit on Morris, who has railed off three consecutive wins to make his case for a third year in Atlanta," Fowler explained. "But that doesn't ensure his return. Morris would most likely need to make staff changes if he does stay. Special teams have been a bugaboo, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s development hasn't proceeded as hoped."

A 2024 first-round draft pick, Penix made just three starts as a rookie before he produced a mixed bag of performances, when healthy, this season. He then needed surgery to repair what the Falcons referred to as a partially torn ACL, and his status for the start of the 2026 campaign is uncertain. 

Meanwhile, veteran Kirk Cousins played well enough during Atlanta's winning streak to cause some to believe he could enter next September as the club's QB1. Of course, a different coaching staff may want to go with a quarterback who currently isn't on Atlanta's roster. 

Why Falcons may give Raheem Morris more time

As Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports noted, Morris "hasn’t been flat-out bad" while going 15-18 during his current stint as Falcons head coach. Meanwhile, one league source told ESPN's Nick Wagoner ahead of Christmas that this is considered a "weak candidate pool" as it pertains to the upcoming hiring cycle. 

As much as some Falcons fans may want the club to move on from Morris, an immediate upgrade may not be available before January 2027 comes around. For now, Morris will prepare his Falcons to finish the season with a home game against the 6-10 New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday. That showdown could potentially determine which NFC South team participates in the postseason tournament.