The Atlanta Falcons have had a rough go of it in the head coaching department over the last few years, and a recent ranking of NFL head coaches since 2021 underscores just how bumpy the ride has been. Out of 37 coaches on the list, the Falcons’ last two hires-Arthur Smith and Raheem Morris-landed at No. 22 and No. 24, respectively. Not exactly the company you want to keep when you're trying to rebuild a franchise.
Let’s start with Arthur Smith, who held the reins from 2021 through 2023. His stint began with some promise-he inherited Matt Ryan in his final season and oversaw the drafting of three offensive cornerstones: Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson.
On paper, that’s a strong foundation. But what played out on the field was a different story.
Smith’s offenses consistently underwhelmed, finishing in the bottom third of the league in key categories each year. Pitts never truly broke out under his watch, and neither did the offense as a whole.
The Falcons went 7-10 in each of Smith’s three seasons, failing to take a meaningful step forward despite adding high-end talent in the draft. The quarterback carousel didn’t help-post-Ryan, Atlanta never found solid footing under center.
That context likely explains why Smith edged out Morris in the rankings, but it doesn’t change the fact that he left Atlanta without a clear offensive identity.
Raheem Morris, who took over in 2024, came in with energy and a defensive background, and for a brief moment, it looked like things might turn around. The Falcons started the 2025 season 3-2, including a memorable Monday night win over the Buffalo Bills.
That early success seemed to wash away the sting of a brutal 30-0 loss to Carolina just weeks earlier. But any optimism quickly faded.
Atlanta spiraled, losing seven of its next eight games. The losses weren’t just defeats-they were gut punches. A one-point heartbreaker to the Patriots, and back-to-back overtime losses to the Colts and Panthers, effectively derailed the season.
To Morris’ credit, the Falcons closed out the year with four straight wins, showing fight when it would’ve been easy to fold. But by then, the damage was done.
An 8-9 record in his first year followed by a collapse in year two was enough to land Morris near the bottom of the rankings. Even so, there’s a case to be made that his late-season surge should’ve nudged him a spot or two higher.
Sandwiched between Smith and Morris on the list is Dennis Allen, the former Saints head coach, who went 18-25 in his tenure. It’s a tight cluster of underwhelming results, and for Falcons fans, it paints a clear picture: this team has been stuck in neutral for too long.
What stings even more is that during their last coaching search, Atlanta interviewed both Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel-two coaches who now sit in the top five of the rankings and are leading their respective teams to Super Bowl LX. That’s the kind of sliding doors moment that can haunt a franchise.
But there’s a new chapter beginning in Atlanta. Kevin Stefanski is now at the helm, and alongside new GM Ian Cunningham, there’s hope the Falcons can finally get this thing right.
The pieces are there. The question is whether this new regime can put them together in a way the last two couldn’t.
If there’s one thing Falcons fans deserve after the last five seasons, it’s a reason to believe again. Let’s see if Stefanski can give it to them.