Falcons Face Familiar Frustration as Coaching Questions Resurface
Another Sunday, another loss - and this one stings a little more for the Falcons. Dropping a game to the Jets, a team that’s struggled to find offensive rhythm all season, has only turned up the heat under head coach Raheem Morris. And while Arthur Blank has shown patience in the past, it’s performances like this - flat, uninspired, and frankly embarrassing - that historically push him toward action.
But here’s the real issue: even the idea of a coaching change doesn’t spark much optimism in Atlanta anymore.
Since 2020, the Falcons have already cycled through two head coaches. And each time, the process of hiring the next one has raised more questions than it answered.
Remember early 2024? A lifeless Week 18 showing against the Saints was the final straw for Arthur Smith.
The coaching search that followed was supposed to be a reset - a chance to bring in a new voice and direction. Instead, it exposed deeper dysfunction within the organization.
General manager Terry Fontenot, typically the front-facing decision-maker in these moments, was notably silent. No press conference.
No roadmap. No explanation.
Instead, team owner Arthur Blank and longtime executive Rich McKay - who the team had previously distanced from football operations - stepped in and took control of the process.
On paper, the Falcons were in the mix for some of the most respected coaching candidates available. They interviewed names that are now thriving elsewhere:
- Mike Vrabel, now with the Patriots, sitting at 10-2.
- Ben Johnson, leading the Bears to a 9-3 record.
- Mike MacDonald, guiding the Seahawks to 9-3.
- Jim Harbaugh, with the Chargers at 8-4.
These are coaches who not only brought strong résumés but also clear visions for building winning football. But when the dust settled, Atlanta’s decision came down to two names: Bill Belichick and Raheem Morris.
That’s where things reportedly got messy.
Belichick, the most decorated coach in NFL history, was Blank’s top choice. But there were internal concerns - whispers that some within the organization feared Belichick’s sweeping authority and what it might mean for their own roles.
In the end, Morris, who previously served as the Falcons' interim head coach, was seen as the more agreeable option. He was well-liked, cooperative, and perhaps more willing to work within the Falcons’ unique - and often confusing - power structure.
Now, whether the Falcons truly had a shot at landing those top-tier candidates is hard to say. Ben Johnson stayed in Detroit for another year.
Harbaugh had the chance to coach Justin Herbert in L.A. Vrabel landed where many believed he always wanted to go.
It’s possible Atlanta passed on them. It’s also possible they passed on Atlanta.
But here’s the bigger picture: the Falcons continue to operate in a way that makes it hard to take them seriously at the organizational level.
They’ve developed a reputation for chasing optics instead of results - for zigging when the rest of the league zags, and somehow ending up on the wrong side of it more often than not. The hiring of Morris wasn’t necessarily a bad football decision - he’s respected, experienced, and well-regarded in league circles. But it was a decision that seemed rooted more in internal comfort than competitive edge.
And that’s the heart of the issue.
Until there’s real self-reflection at the top - from Arthur Blank, from Rich McKay, and from the inner circle that influences these major decisions - the Falcons risk repeating the same cycle. A new coach might come in next year.
Maybe even a new quarterback. But without a shift in how the organization operates, the results on the field may not look much different.
For a fan base that’s seen this story play out too many times in recent years, that’s the toughest part to accept.