The Atlanta Falcons have fired head coach Raheem Morris after the team missed out on the NFL playoffs for an eighth straight season.
Morris was appointed head coach as successor to Arthur Smith ahead of the 2024 campaign, but has since led the Falcons to two consecutive 8-9 campaigns.
His departure was confirmed by NFL Network on Sunday night after Atlanta defeated the New Orleans Saints 19-17 to hand the NFC South division title to the Carolina Panthers.
The result extended a four-game winning streak to finish the season, but was not enough to rescue Morris’ position amid another losing record for the organisation.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport also announced that the Falcons had fired general manager Terry Fontenot, paving the way for more offseason change.
“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,” said Falcons owner and chairman Arthur M. Blank on the team website.
“The decision to move away from people who represent the organisation so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organisation 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.”
Morris had previously served as interim head coach when Dan Quinn was fired by Atlanta in 2020, before becoming defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams as the Falcons instead turned to Smith.
He returned to the team two years ago, since managing a record of 16-18.
Behind Morris and Fontenot, the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180m contract before selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr with the eighth overall pick at the 2024 NFL Draft little under two months later. By Week 16 a struggling Cousins had been benched for Penix, who would enter 2025 as starter.
A talent-rich offense would continue to stutter, however, as the Falcons opened the season 3-7 before losing Penix for the remainder of the year with a torn ACL in his right knee.
The Falcons were officially eliminated from playoff contention during their 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, having not reached the postseason since 2017.
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