Every head coaching vacancy has been filled, and several ended with unexpected hires, including the Falcons.
For much of the process, the expectation was that Arthur Blank would eventually hire Bill Belichick. It wasn’t until Atlanta’s owner realized what that actually meant, the power Belichick would need as head coach, that things changed.
Moreover, former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn getting the job in Washington was a bit of a shock after many pegged Ben Johnson as the next Commanders head coach. The Raiders removing the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s title was jarring too. Not because Pierce didn’t deserve the job, he did, but because Mark Davis rarely does the right thing.
John Harbaugh and the Chargers always seemed like a match. Jerrod Mayo following the greatest coach of all time is going to be a storyline to follow. A wildcard is Dave Canales, who the Falcons will become familiar with as the Panthers head coach. The former Buccaneers offensive coordinator helped Baker Mayfield to a career year and Geno Smith to a career resurgence in Seattle.
The Falcons ended up with Raheem Morris, a hire that was met with universal praise by the NFL world. CBS Sports isn’t as fond of the hire, though, giving Atlanta a B grade.
Four years after he went 4-7 as the interim for a fired Dan Quinn, Morris is back in Atlanta for a full-time crack at the job. And he’s got just about everything you want if you’re going the “retread” route: previous head coaching experience (he was just 32 when he led the Buccaneers from 2009-2011), roles on both sides of the ball, and recent stardom (he oversaw the Rams‘ Super Bowl-winning defense in 2021). Widely respected, he should also benefit from poaching assistant Zac Robinson from Los Angeles.
I was for any candidate that wasn’t Bill Belichick, so I was happy when the Falcons announced the hire. Possibly his best trait as a head coach has already been put on full display when reports surfaced that Morris would be taking Zac Robinson, the hottest offensive coordinator candidate of the hiring cycle, with him to Atlanta.
Morris’ relationships with coaches and players should give the Falcons a leg up when it comes to replacing coordinators and competing with other teams for free agents. The Falcons are in a much better place now than they would’ve been with Belichick. I tend to agree with CBS’ grade. It was good but not great. Time will tell if it works out for Arthur Blank and the Falcons.
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Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire
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