Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have been fired. Morris, after two seasons at the helm, and Fontenot, following six years as one of the National Football League’s few Black GMs.
The Atlanta Falcons were the only NFL franchise with a Black head coach and a Black general manager. That is no more.
Morris, his staff, and the Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, bringing the overall record to 8-9 for a consecutive season. The two eight-win seasons were more than any of the three seasons of the former head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. Under Smith, the Falcons went 7-10 for three consecutive seasons, missing the playoffs in each.
The Falcons’ current streak of missing the postseason is now eight years long. Under Fontenot, the Falcons drafted talented players like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and rookies Xavier Watts, Jalon Walker, and James Pearce Jr., but consistently missed the playoffs. Fontenot began his tenure in Atlanta in 2021, holding a six-year contract. Morris signed a five-year contract before the 2024 season.
Fontenot is owed for one more year, while Morris has three years remaining on his deal that he will have to be paid for. Morris is owed $12 million, according to a source familiar with the deal.
There was a drastic improvement from Morris’s first season to the 2025 season. Atlanta finished the 2025 season among the top three teams in sacks and set a new franchise record with 57 sacks. During the 2024 season, the defense was at the bottom of league rankings for nearly all defensive categories.