When the Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris, some fans were jumping for joy while others were pretty upset. But then again, firing your head coach after winning the final four games of the season is oftentimes a decision that's met with skepticism, which disappointed ex-Falcons DB DeAngelo Hall.
Although Kevin Stefanski is a pretty obvious upgrade, Hall is one of few still firmly on the Morris hype train. He thinks the Falcons should've given him another year after a strong finish to 2025, but they still finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs, which extended the playoff drought for an eighth season.
During an interview with Hard Rock Bet, Hall was asked about the Falcons' offseason, including the choice to move on from Morris for Stefanski. He made it clear he was "disappointed" that the four-game win streak wasn't enough to save the 49-year-old's job despite the circumstances.
"Look, I have to start by saying I was a little bit disappointed that my man Raheem Morris didn’t get another year after that great finish to the season," Hall said. "While I’m a huge Raheem Morris fan, I have to respect Kevin Stefanski and his resume. He did great in Cleveland, which is a tough job, and he’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year."
DeAngelo Hall wanted the Falcons to give Raheem Morris another year
Though Hall did say he was disappointed about Morris getting canned, he did say that he respects Stefanski and his resume. He referred to Cleveland as a "tough job", and seemed to be impressed that Atlanta's new head coach was able to win two Coach of the Year awards with that team of all places.
It's easy to understand why the three-time Pro Bowler is such a Morris truther, that's a pretty difficult hill to die on. If you watched the Dirty Birds at all last season, you would know that the sheer number of coaching mishaps and blown games Atlanta had last season is proof that a change was needed.
The Falcons were an eight-win team where they had enough close losses they could've won between 11 and 13 games. If just a few small things go differently, he's coaching a playoff team and his job was in jeopardy. But many of the things that went wrong were self-inflicted wounds that were Morris' fault.
Hall's words reflect a divide in Morris' perception between NFL fans and in league circles. Players and coaches tend to enjoy his presence as a "player's coach", but Falcons fans were calling for his head by the end of the year. It became evident last year he doesn't have what it takes to be a head coach.
Raheem Morris was never going to be the head coach to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl, so while DeAngelo Hall may feel otherwise, the coaching errors were too much to bear. And there should be more reason for optimism with Kevin Stefanski taking the wheel.
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