While it seems that Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot will be back in 2025 with the Falcons, that might not be the case for Jimmy Lake.
The team’s defensive coordinator is thought to be in danger of getting the axe, especially after Morris’ end-of-season press conference. The Falcons head coach spoke highly of Fontenot, backing him to return next season, but he didn’t offer that same support for Lake.
“We got to evaluate all of our coaches. We got to evaluate all of our players. … That’s the process that happens now. There will never be anything that’s the same in the National Football League,” Morris said.
Now, that noncommital attitude has leaked around the league and into the media. There’s buzz building around the NFL surrounding Jimmy Lake’s job security, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“Coordinator shuffling might not be done. Some people around the league are keeping an eye on Atlanta, where Raheem Morris was noncommittal on defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake in his end-of-year news conference,” Fowler wrote.
A lot of Falcons fans would be shocked if Lake returned for another season; in fact, an announcement from the organization should be imminent. With more talent than Ryan Nielsen had last season, the Falcons defense took a dramatic step back.
In damn near every major statistical category, Lake took a defense that was about league average last year to the bottom five… with more talent. The most egregious thing in all of this is Raheem Morris’ excuses coming out following a career day from Bryce Young in the season finale.
Young and the Panthers’ offense put up 44 points, and Morris’ defense was mis-communicating on the backend of the defense. Mind you, this is the last game of the season in a must-win situation, and there were still miscommunications.
Moreover, it’s not like A.J. Terrell, Jessie Bates, Justin Simmons, and Mike Hughes are young guys. They’re veterans, three earning All-Pro honors at some point. That’s a coaching issue, which is why many believe the Falcons will part ways with Jimmy Lake in the coming days.
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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