After being fired by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, Raheem Morris has quietly emerged as a popular name in head coaching circles. He has one coaching interview lined up, but the more likely outcome is that Morris takes one of the high-profile defensive coordinator jobs that is now available.
However, the 49-year-old isn't the only former Falcons' head coach who is getting some close looks this offseason. His predecessor, Arthur Smith, helped take the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs this season, and could emerge as a dark horse coaching candidate for some of the lower-profile jobs.
It's no secret that Smith won't be returning to Atlanta any time soon, but he is expected to be a leading candidate for the Arizona Cardinals' opening. It may not feel like much right now, but Falcons fans are well aware of how this story ends because it's one they experienced just a few seasons ago.
Arthur Smith is emerging as a favorite to be the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals' owner Michael Bidwill is known for thinking outside the box, so if there's any team who would surprise people with a bold head coaching hire, it's the Cardinals. They could be the Dirty Birds' top threat in the Klint Kubiak sweepstakes, but it's highly unlikely he chooses Arizona over Atlanta.
With that said though, the 43-year-old is more of a wild-card candidate. In three seasons at the helm with the Falcons, he went 7-10 three consecutive years. He is still a solid play-caller or OC, but the Atlanta faithful are well aware that Smith is not head coaching material like others think he is
In each of Smith's last five seasons since leaving Tennessee, he has never fielded a top 16 offense despite being equipped with some elite weapons. And frankly, the only reason he's been floated as a potential head coach to begin with is because the Steelers somehow snuck into the playoffs again.
If Tyler Loop had made that walk-off field goal on Sunday, there's a chance that both Smith and Mike Tomlin would be on the move instead of John Harbaugh. But I digress, because Tomlin always finds a way to drag mediocre teams to the playoffs despite fielding a bottom-10 offense in football in 2025.
The fact multiple reports have linked the Cardianls to him is even weirder because they're likely to move on from Kyler Murray despite Kyler being a perfect fit for his scheme. Then again, he's made it work with an ancient Aaron Rodgers, so he could help spearhead a QB reset in Arizona.
Perhaps he could be better on a second shot as a head coach, but this would be the easiest way for Bidwill and Monti Ossenfort to lose the support of their fanbase after the Jonathan Gannon debacle, especially since Smith hasn't been linked to any other openings.