The Atlanta Falcons are in for a full reset.
The Falcons parted ways with both head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night, the team announced. The move came despite a Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints, which wrapped up Morris’ second season leading the franchise.
The decision comes after the Falcons finished the season with another 8-9 record under Morris, marking their eighth consecutive losing season. Morris went 16-18 in two seasons with the franchise.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Blank announced Monday morning that the team will be creating a new president of football role with both the head coach and GM positions reporting into that person. Multiple reports suggest former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is in line to assume the president of football role.
“The leader in this new role will set the vision and identity for our team,” Blank said in a letter released to Falcons fans.
Following an 8-9 season in 2024, there was hope the Falcons would take a step forward in 2025. Last season’s first-round pick, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., was set to take over as the team’s full-time starter, and the team used its first four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft to shore up a struggling defense.
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But the Falcons faded after a somewhat promising start. Through the first five weeks of the season, Atlanta was 3-2, and very much in the conversation for a playoff spot. But the team dropped five straight games, and despite a late-season rally, the Carolina Panthers ultimately came up with the division in a three-way tie to end Atlanta’s postseason hopes.
Raheem Morris’ run with the Atlanta Falcons has come to an end. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Falcons got exposed in a few ways during that losing streak. While Penix had some moments of promise, he, too, often proved in need of refinement. He averaged barely over a touchdown per start and put up a lowly 60.1 completion percentage in his first season as a starter. Atlanta’s defense, while better, didn’t take a big step forward. After ranking 23rd in points allowed in 2024, the team barely improved in 2025 despite heavily investing on that side of the ball during the draft.
The season appeared lost in Week 11, when Penix landed on injured reserve following a knee injury. Despite that injury, however, the Falcons rallied late, winning three straight games down the stretch to head into Week 18 with a chance to once again win eight games.
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Despite the late rally, ownership looked at the totality of the 2025 season and felt it was time to start over. That meant getting rid of Morris, who failed to post a winning season in two years with the team.
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The firing marks the third time Morris has been ousted as a head coach. He was fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011 after compiling a 17-31 record with the team. He also held the interim job with the Falcons in 2020 for just a handful of games before the team moved on. In six seasons as a head coach, Morris has one winning season on his résumé. Because of that, he might be relegated to defensive coordinator openings once the offseason hits.
Morris has proven to be an adept defensive coordinator and could be a valuable piece for any coaching staff in need of a defensive turnaround. If he performs well in that role, it’s possible Morris could again emerge as a head-coaching candidate in the future.
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Fontenot just finished his fifth season as the Falcons’ general manager. The team had only one winning record under his watch, and did not make the playoffs once. He finished with a 36-48 record. The Falcons dealt longtime quarterback Matt Ryan with him in charge, and unsuccessfully pursued Deshaun Watson when was wrapping up his time with the Houston Texans and involved in legal issues. Watson eventually landed with the Cleveland Browns. Ryan later said he thought he’d still be a Falcon if it weren’t for the team’s pursuit of Watson.
The Falcons also signed Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal, and then selected Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft soon after in a move that left many puzzled.
With the move, the Falcons now find themselves back in the market for a new head coach. While the team has some promising pieces on its roster, quarterback remains a massive problem. After losing roughly half of the 2025 season to injury, Penix is a much bigger question mark than expected after his second year in the NFL.
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Veteran Kirk Cousins hasn’t looked the same since he returned from a torn Achilles in 2024, though he deserves credit for leading the team to wins down the stretch in 2025. Cousins is still under contract with the Falcons for two more seasons, but the team does have a potential out on his contract in the offseason. It will be up to the Falcons’ next head coach to determine whether Cousins should stick around and whether more help should be brought in to push Penix.
While the new Falcons coach may want to start fresh with a rookie quarterback, that could prove difficult. Following last year’s trade that netted the team James Pearce Jr., the Falcons do not have a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.