The Atlanta Falcons have officially fired Raheem Morris following their Week 18 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons won four straight games to end the season, but it wasn't enough, as Arthur Blank opted to make a change from the man who kept Atlanta out of the playoffs this season.
Morris leaves Atlanta with a 16-18 record in two seasons as the head coach after returning to Flowery Branch after a successful stint as the interim head coach, but ultimately, two seasons where the Falcons should have made the playoffs, but didn't turned out to be enough to do his future in.
The #Falcons have fired coach Raheem Morris, moving on after two frustrating seasons and doing so despite the impressive close to the season, per The Insiders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2026
Atlanta starts over again. pic.twitter.com/bT3b5LpOuz
The Dirty Birds finished 8-9 on the season after a great final month to the season, which saw Morris say earlier today that he expected to return next season, but that was before discussing with Blank. It's also been reported that GM Terry Fontenot has been fired, meaning it's a full new regime in the A.
Falcons fnally fire Raheem Morris, Terry Fontenot to usher in a new regime
The Falcons boast arguably the best roster in the NFC South and one of the best in football, yet the entire Morris era has been a disappointment. They started 6-3 last season and missed the playoffs, while this season they lost seven of eight after a 3-2 start to miss the postseason once again.
He seemingly lost the locker room after firing Ike Hilliard following the Week 3 loss to the Panthers, so even some star players defending him wasn't enough to save his job. The quarterback situation is in flux and they don't have a first-round pick, so this is quite the overhaul for the new regime to inherit.
As for Fontenot, that was a long-overdue decision. In five seasons calling the shots, the Dirty Birds never won more than eight games in a season or made the playoffs, but that one felt inevitable after some recent reports. But a decision this quickly was something no fan was anticipating from Blank.
The Falcons are in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought that has seen patience wear thin not only within the fanbase, but within the organization. Fans were pushing for a change, but it didn't seem likely after Michael Penix Jr.'s injury, but Blank still managed to stun the NFL world with his timing.
They had support, and even an impressive draft class was expected to help, but in the end, the lack of on-field success made the 83-year-old owner's decision easy. Here's hoping they nail these new hires.