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Atlanta Falcons fire head coach Raheem Morris

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones01/05/26brianjones_93

The Atlanta Falcons have fired head coach Raheem Morris, the team announced on Sunday night. The move came after the Falcons won the last four games of the season to finish with an 8-9 record.

Along with the firing of Raheem Morris, the Falcons have relieved general manager Terry Fontenot of his duties. It will be a busy offseason for the Falcons, as they will seek a new head coach and general manager.

“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,” Falcons 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.”

Raheem Morris addresses his future with the Falcons

The Falcons hired Raheem Morris last year after firing Arthur Smith as their head coach. In his first season as Atlanta’s head coach, Morris led the team to an 8-9 record after starting the season 6-3. This year, the Falcons got off to a 3-2 start, and one of the wins was against the Buffalo Bills. But the franchise lost the next five games and was eliminated from playoff contention last month.

After the Falcons’ 19-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Morris was asked about his future with the team. “I’m going to coach this football team as long as [Arthur Blank] allows me,” Morris said, per Falcons Wire. “I know it’s fun for you guys to talk about… the proper decision will be made at the right time.”

The Falcons will be looking for a head coach and general manager who will bring a winning culture. Atlanta hasn’t had a winning season since the last time they went to the playoffs, which was in 2017. This is the longest drought for Atlanta since the 1983 to 1990 seasons.