After two seasons of medicority, the Atlanta Falcons finally moved on from Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot. Nobody thought that Arthur Blank would actually pull the plug, especially after Morris said he expected to be back in 2026, but the 83-year-old is desperate to rewrite the narrative in Atlanta.
Despite ending the season on four straight wins, the Falcons' playoff drought extended to an eighth season because of a division championship tiebreaker, which is almost certainly what did him in. But just because he was fired doesn't mean he won't be coaching elsewhere in some capacity next year.
Morris doesn't have the credentials to be a head coach for another team after another failed coaching stop, but there's no denying that he's a good defensive mind who can positively affect a locker room, so he shouldn't have to work too hard to receive another coaching opportunity .
And given his prior defensive success, that means he'll most likely garner consideration for vacant defensive coordinator jobs this offseason now that it's confirmed he won't be back in Atlanta.
Raheem Morris will be a popular defensive coordinator candidate after Falcons' firing
Prior to landing with the Dirty Birds, Morris' defensive track record spoke for itself. He was a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator with the Rams back in 2021, and fielded some competent units which flew under the radar because of a Sean McVay-led offense that did most of the dirty work.
His main experience as a defensive play-caller came with the Rams, but the fact he has any play-calling experience gives him a leg up. Defensive players tend to respond to his leadership style, and the Falcons' own defense enjoyed an impressive turnaround, mainly on the defensive line, this year.
Lucky for Morris, the head coaching cycle this season has been headlined by strong defensive minds, which means there will be no shortage of options for him to land another DC job, and he could leapfrog back to Los Angeles to replace Chris Shula, who will likely leave for a head coaching job.
The Jets already have an opening at defensive coordinator, but that likely won't be the position that intrigues Morris the most. A position with the Rams, Broncos, or Packers would be the most intriguing, and there's a real possibility that all three of those teams need new DCs in a few weeks.
The 49-year-old isn't the defensive mastermind on the same caliber as someone like Mike Macdonald, but that doesn't mean he won't be sought after. And the amount of DC turnover in this league means that his schedule will be filled to the brim with interviews these next few weeks.