It remains to be seen whether or not Raheem Morris will be coaching the Atlanta Falcons next season, as he's undoubtedly on the hot seat. The Falcons won't be making any decisions on Morris' future until after the season ends, but all signs suggest that changes will likely be coming to Atlanta.
The only downside that comes with firing the 49-year-old is that the head coaching candidates this cycle are considerably weaker than they've been recently. There are no Ben Johnson or Mike Vrabel-level candidates this time around, but there are still several quality candidates that could interest Arthur Blank.
However, many of the top available coaches are defensive minds, which isn't ideal for a Falcons team looking to find someone to help develop Michael Penix Jr. But that didn't stop 92.9 The Game's Joe Patrick from believing that the perfect candidate for the Dirty Birds is Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
On what-if Wednesday, @joepatrick spent time on this hypothetical: What if Atlanta moves on from Raheem Morris? Vance Joseph with the Broncos is turning mid-grade prospects into superstars. His leadership has helped boost them to the best record in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/t75guD6p0P
— 92.9 The Game (@929TheGame) December 18, 2025
The problem is, the Falcons have won two straight, so there are genuine questions about whether Atlanta will usher in a new regime to begin with this offseason.
Joe Patrick wants the Falcons to replace Raheem Morris with Denver Broncos DC Vance Joseph
The Broncos boast the most dangerous defense in the NFL, and that is in large part due to Joseph's impact. Yes, the unit is uber-talented, but the 53-year-old has his Denver defense leading the NFL in sacks and firmly on the precipice of breaking the single-season sack record by a single team.
Joseph's defense is also near top of the league in practically every defensive category, and only part of that s due to talent. Having superstars like Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonnito certainly helps, but the brain child behind the best defense in football is more than worthy of head coaching consideration.
Moreover, Joseph has prior experience as a head coach, which also came in Denver. He compiled n 11-21 record in 2017 and 2018 before getting fired, but did so while starting Case Keenum in 2018 and Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch at quarterback in 2017, which isn't necessarily his fault.
The Broncos' previous inability to find a quarterback is what did him in, but he wasn't a bad coach all things considered. He revived his career as a coordinator before likely receiving a second shot, which is exactly what happened to former Falcons' head coach Dan Quinn before landing in Washington.
He's a good leader, a good play-caller, and could continue to help this young Atlanta defense achieve its potential. Both James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker (and even Xavier Watts) are looking like stars for Jeff Ulbrich's defense, so there's no telling what the ceiling could be with Joseph at the helm.
And the most captivating aspect of any potential Joseph hire is the fact that he is one of the only candidates who would likely bring an offensive coordinator with him. Former NFL QB Davis Webb has done wonders working with Bo Nix, so here's hoping he can accomplish the same working with Penix.
Like Patrick said, if the Falcons fire Morris, Joseph should be one of the top candidates on the shortlist to replace him.