The 4-9 Atlanta Falcons are struggling through 2025, which will mark their eighth straight losing season.
Prior to the Falcons’ Thursday Night Football road game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Amazon Prime Video host Charissa Thompson asked NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport about whether there will be any changes this offseason, and he provided this response, specifically mentioning head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot in his answer.
“Rough season for them. Certainly have not been the results that anyone expected and when that happens, there is fallout. My understanding is that owner Arthur Blank, who just visited the set, is going to evaluate the entire football operation at the end of the year. That includes general manager Terry Fontenot, that includes coach Raheem Morris, everything.
Rapoport then said “it wouldn’t make sense to do anything before the season” ends but that the Falcons would evaluate after the season and make changes if needed.
“A lot of the problems this season go back to the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins has simply not lived up to the $180 million contract that he signed either as a starter or as a backup. Michael Penix Jr. has been inconsistent and just as he was in college, got injured and is out for the season. When that position struggles, everything struggles.”
Fontenot, 44, has been the team’s general manager since 2021. Prior to his time in Atlanta, he worked for the New Orleans Saints from 2003-2020. Fontenot was a scout from 2003-2012 before working as the director of pro scouting from 2013-2019. He was the Saints’ assistant general manager and vice president of pro personnel in his final year in New Orleans.
Atlanta had three straight 7-10 seasons from 2021-2023 before improving a game to 8-9 last year. However, this year has been a tough one, with Atlanta losing seven of its last eight.
As Rapoport noted, the Cousins signing simply did not work out, to the point where he was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. before Year 1 of the veteran’s contract. Penix had some flashes under center but had his own struggles.
Unfortunately, a torn ACL suffered in November cost him the remainder of the season. He has shown tremendous talent in college and at times in the pros but has now sadly suffered five season-ending injuries during his college and NFL career.
Fontenot has made some good draft picks, including running back Bijan Robinson, and wide receiver Drake London. However, some others have not panned out, and the Falcons defense has been an issue during his tenure, ranking no better than 18th in scoring since 2021.
The 49-year-old Morris is in his second year as the Falcons’ head coach. He has a long coaching career in the NFL and college dating back to 1998, when he started as a graduate assistant for Hofstra.
Morris became the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coach at just 32 years old during the offseason between the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Bucs enjoyed a 10-6 season in 2010, but that was surrounded by 3-13 and 4-12 records. Tampa Bay parted ways with him after 2011.
Morris remained in the NFL and even worked on the Falcons’ coaching staff from 2015-2020 under Dan Quinn. He left town to be the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator from 2021-2023, winning a Super Bowl in his first year.
Morris got a well-deserved shot to be head coach again in 2024. Last year’s squad got off to a good start (6-3) and had a great chance at winning the NFC South before a 2-6 second-half finish doomed that shot.
This year’s team is perplexing. At best, the Falcons soundly beat the 9-4 Buffalo Bills, 24-14. At worst, the Falcons also lost 30-0 to the 7-6 Carolina Panthers and fell 27-24 to the 3-10 New York Jets.
So it remains to be seen what Blank will do this offseason. Ultimately, Atlanta has underperformed, so it’s understandable that Blank will lead a full evaluation of the football operation as Rapoport noted.
