Atlanta Falcons fans were shocked to hear that both head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot were fired just a few hours after ending the season on a four-game winning streak. Nevertheless, it was met with much excitement.
It means that fans won't be bored between now and free agency; there will be something significant to keep an eye on, especially over these next few weeks.
The franchise will go through a list of candidates to fill their general manager and head coach roles. However, a shocking new report says they will just be going through the motions and Blank could already have a leading candidate in mind.
Falcons expected to interview a bunch of candidates. But belief among coaches who’ve back-channeled is that they’ve already picked their guy
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) January 5, 2026
Could this mean Arthur Blank will backtrack and hire the guy he seemed convinced to hire just two years ago?
Bill Belichick may already be the frontrunner to be the next Falcons' head coach
If this report is true, it is not a good look for Blank. You cannot have your mind made up already; you have to go through a true process and hire the guy that wins you over, especially now that Matt Ryan is the man running the head coaching search as the new president of football operations.
It would reason that Bill Belichick is the pick here because of Blank's past meetings with the future Hall of Famer. They met twice in 2024, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would be the next coach until others (mainly Rich McKay) stepped in and convinced him to hire Morris instead.
That same reporter also gave some context about that saga.
Matt Ryan will move into the key decision-making position, most likely — or at least lead the searches. That’s what’s been communicated to candidates. Do with that information what you will
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) January 5, 2026
If Blank was angry that he was moved off of Belichick—which would be strange because he is the one with all the power—then why wouldn't he correct things by grabbing the current North Carolina head coach?
If that ends up happening, it would be a wild sequence, and, to be frank, an embarrassing one.
The Falcons owner just cannot head in that direction. Belichick has already taken numerous shots at the Dirty Birds after being passed on, he hasn't found any type of success as a head coach for many years (in both the NFL and college), and it would make Blank look crazy.
Blank must do his due diligence and give every candidate a fair shot. If coaches around the league feel he has already made up his mind, then why would they ever waste their time on an interview?
Obviously, only time will tell what the truth is. Just a couple of days ago, everyone was saying Morris would be retained while Fontenot would be fired. You just never know what is smoke, what is made up, and what is real.
So, sit back and get ready for another wild offseason with plenty of rumors.