The Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris last night for a multitude of reasons, but it ultimately comes down to on-field performance. As much as Arthur Blank might respect Morris as a human being, another playoff-less year when they had the division handed to them on a silver platter is inexcusable.
The original belief was that the 49-year-old saved his job by ending the season with a four-game win streak, but that was quickly debunked. However, NFL Insider Dianna Russini reported that Morris is expected to interview with teams for some of the six head coaching openings that became available.
Ex-Falcons coach Raheem Morris is expected to interview with teams about their head coaching vacancies, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 5, 2026
I’m told that Morris is in the mix for defensive coordinator opportunities as well. pic.twitter.com/OVHgeeaRFX
We know what Morris is as a head coach at this point: slightly below average. Russini reported that he'll also garner consideration for defensive coordinator openings, but that was more expected, since he is still a good defensive mind, even if he can't handle the challenge of being an NFL head coach.
Somehow, Raheem Morris might land another head coaching opportunity
For the second consecutive season, the Dirty Birds finished 2025 with an 8-9 record despite harboring legit playoff aspirations. A roster this talented has no business missing the playoffs, especially in a division as weak as the NFC South, so this report is the funniest thing to surface today.
Morris isn't as bad of a head coach as someone like the recently-fired Jonathan Gannon, but it's no secret that he isn't head coach material. He grossly mismanaged the Falcons' quarterback situation, while the offense heavily underperformed in large part due to his endless loyalty to Zac Robinson.
They got better as the season progressed, but it was too little too late. The Falcons' broke their single-season sack record on defense and were still held back by an offense with elite personnel, which is all because Morris chose to scapegoat the wrong assistant in order to protect his friends.
With that said, Morris is still respected with a leadership style that players respond to, so he won't struggle to find a job, even if it's as a DC. While it isn't super likely he actually gets another head coaching opportunity this quickly, the fact he's even interviewing for jobs proves how respected he is in league circles.
Then again, some of the teams with openings, like the Titans and Cardinals, quietly boast some of the most incompetent front offices in the NFL, so Morris' player-first coaching style has what it takes to fool one of these lesser organizations to give him a third shot to prove himself as a head coach.
Luckily, this divorce could prove to be what's best for all parties.