NFL Network Insiders Report on Future of Raheem Morris, Terry Fontenot

The Atlanta Falcons got an upset win on the road last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to push their record to a still disappointing 5-9. It's the Falcons' eighth straight losing season and has fueled speculation that there could be drastic changes in the offseason.

NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero gave an update on the status of every coach, and in the Falcons' case, general manager, of the eight teams eliminated from the playoffs. Yes, with just three weeks to play, there are only eight teams mathematically eliminated from the postseason (Atlanta was eliminated with four games remaining).

"Owner Arthur Blank has shown patience in the past, but is it running out with a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs in eight years? He plans to evaluate the futures of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot as the season draws to a close, as most owners do following trying campaigns," Rapoport and Pelissero wrote on NFL.com.

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When dealing with the multi-billion-dollar industry of running an NFL franchise, millions of dollars are irrelevant when making decisions on staff, but Fontenot signed a six-year deal when he took over the Falcons. That he has one year left won't sway Blank's decision one way or another. His first five have yet to produce a winning season.

Fontenot has made some unconventional moves as the general manager, the most visible of which was signing Kirk Cousins to $100-million guaranteed and then proceeding to draft a redshirt class in 2024. He was also instrumental in the hiring of Morris, who is 13-18 in his second stint with the Falcons, according to reports.

"A strong finish certainly wouldn't hurt their cause, and if Kirk Cousins finishes strong, it would justify a part of the QB decisions made last year. But people familiar with Blank's thinking expect potential changes in some form to the football operation regardless. Nothing is decided and won't be until after the season," Rapoport and Pelissero concluded.

Nothing is decided, but expect change.

Change could come in several forms. Should Morris stay, it would seem virtually impossible that his coaching staff remains intact. His first three coordinator hires have been disastrous. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake was fired after last season, and Zac Robinson (offense) and Marquise Williams (special teams) have looked woefully incompetent at times this season.

The team is in a better place financially and from a roster perspective than when Fontenot took over in 2021, but it should be. He's had five classes in which the Falcons were picking in the top 10 four times, with the fifth being No. 15. Drafting in the top 10 also means drafting higher than other teams in subsequent rounds, at least when not trading away draft picks.

He's had the financial backing of Blank to hit free agency hard, including Cousins and Jessie Bates, among others.

But if he walked into Blank's office for his interview in 2021 and said, "here's my six-year plan to get a winning season," he never would have gotten the job. So, it should be no surprise if Blank decides to go in a new direction after five years without a winning season.

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The bogeyman in all of this is Atlanta Falcons CEO Rich McKay. McKay was reportedly moved off day to day operations of the Falcons after Morris was hired. Fans have little faith that anything changes with the Falcons if McKay is involved in the hiring of a new coach or general manager. Football operations could include McKay being eliminated from any Falcons business as he takes a bigger role in Blank's other ventures, like Atlanta United's men and women's teams.

If Blank ultimately decides to clean house, he'll need to step outside of his comfort zone and bring in an outsider to run things. The "family" culture of the Atlanta Falcons is starting to be used as a punchline.

Previous ties to Blank and the Falcons shouldn't disqualify a candidate, but after nearly a decade of losing, the process must change.