The Atlanta Falcons fired both Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot on Sunday, which means they're pursuing a full reset with a new regime coming in. That has led Arthur Blank to cast a wide net with the Falcons' new head coaching search, with more interview requests expected to be revealed over the next few days.
Blank and Matt Ryan's first interview request was sent to Seahawks' OC Klint Kubiak, who looks like the early frontrunner to be the next head coach of the Dirty Birds. However, their second request lost fans a little bit, as they requested to interview Miami Dolphins' DC Anthony Weaver.
The Falcons requested an interview with Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver for their head coaching job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 5, 2026
This will almost certainly not be Weaver's first interview request, but it's hard to see him as a legit candidate for a team who badly needs an offensive mind in the locker room. Weaver isn't a bad coach at all, but if you asked 100 Falcons fans in the Atlanta area, the majority would say they prefer Kubiak.
Falcons request to interview Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver for head coach opening
With that said, the 45-year-old is a likely dark horse head coaching candidate this cycle. The poor roster construction of the Miami defense in 2025 fielded an inconsistent product, but Weaver accomplished significantly more than many Dolphins fans expected with highly subpar personnel.
The Dolphins finished in the bottom 10 in the NFL in both points allowed per game and rushing yards allowed per game, but the pass defense was better than expected given they traded Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh in July and were starting Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas on the outside on a weekly basis.
However, the season didn't end too great for Weaver, as the Phins were thrashed by the New England Patriots in Week 18. His defense surrendered 38 points and 243 rushing yards as one of the league's worst run defenses had no answers for TreVeyon Henderson or Rhamondre Stevenson on Sunday.
He also publicly threw ex-Dolphins' GM Chris Grier under the bus earlier this season for his lackluster investment in the defense by signing veterans too late, which is an interesting scenario. But knowing he was coaching a defense who had no on-field chemistry with each other is a management issue.
Something worth noting is that Weaver is one of the brightest names in coaching circles and has been a head coaching finalist in the past, so it's unlikely that this is an interview to satisfy the Rooney Rule. Believe it or not, that is something teams have done before, but Blank has more class than that.
Weaver is only the second of many candidates Ryan will be vetting as the new president of football operations, so let's not overreact to an NFL front office doing customary due diligence while they search for a new regime.