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The Atlanta Falcons didn't wait until Black Monday to clean house. Despite rallying to four straight wins to finish the 2025 NFL regular season, they fired second-year head coach Raheem Morris anyway.
Morris was dealt a tough hand thanks to injuries that limited both Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. But the defensive-minded head coach couldn't coax enough improvement from an inconsistent defense and he and general manager Terry Fontenot were shown the door Sunday night.
That made the veteran playbook architect the first head coach fired after his team wrapped up its year. He won't be the last. Morris joins New York Giants' former NFL coach of the year Brian Daboll and Tennessee Titans disaster Brian Callahan among the unfortunate few relieved of their duties this winter. Who else will join them in 2026?
Morris won the games that didn't matter, going 4-0 after being eliminated from the playoffs and 12-18 with a viable path to the Super Bowl. While there were positive signs of growth under the former defensive coordinator — namely a pass rush that had hibernated through full seasons springing to life — Atlanta's offense remained less than the sum of its parts. The Falcons came into Week 18 ranked 24th in points scored and 21st in expected points added (EPA) per dropback.
Being good in a way that doesn't matter has become an Atlanta hallmark, but team owner Arthur Blank is 83 years old. He's only seen six playoff wins in his 24 years guiding the franchise and hasn't even been to the postseason since 2018. Being interesting wasn't enough for an owner who needs wins now. The next man up will inherit a jumbled quarterback situation and a draft chest missing its 2026 first round pick thanks to the deal that made James Pearce Jr. a key part of the team's edge rush as a rookie.
Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Daboll, the 2022 AP Coach of the Year, went 11-33 in the two-plus seasons following that Daniel Jones breakthrough. He was unable to turn New York's defensive stars into a constellation and couldn't overcome injuries to his skill players, leading to his ouster after 10 games.
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
Callahan went 4-19 before being fired six games into the regular season. Interim head coach Mike McCoy coaxed enough growth from Cam Ward to double Tennessee's wins over the final 11 games of the season, but it wasn't enough to make him a viable candidate for the full-time job.
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
The Jets went 3-14 and, remarkably, failed to record a single interception in 2025 (Glenn's last defense with the Detroit Lions had 16 in 2024). Even so, team owner Woody Johnson has told insiders Glenn will get a second year to turn things around in New York.
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones' torn Achilles (and the broken leg that preceded it) appear to have given Steichen a reprieve despite sliding from 7-1 to 8-9 this fall. Steichen has zero playoff appearances in three seasons at the helm. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has one playoff win in nine years and none since Andrew Luck's retirement. They're getting one more chance to fix things in 2026.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati sacrificed defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo at the altar of a disappointing season in 2024. Taylor won't join him despite 2025's backslide. Taylor has Joe Burrow's support, and the star quarterback managed to go 5-3 as a starter this season when healthy.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Black Monday tracker 2026 with every NFL coach fired, live updates
Continue reading...
Morris was dealt a tough hand thanks to injuries that limited both Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. But the defensive-minded head coach couldn't coax enough improvement from an inconsistent defense and he and general manager Terry Fontenot were shown the door Sunday night.
That made the veteran playbook architect the first head coach fired after his team wrapped up its year. He won't be the last. Morris joins New York Giants' former NFL coach of the year Brian Daboll and Tennessee Titans disaster Brian Callahan among the unfortunate few relieved of their duties this winter. Who else will join them in 2026?
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
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Morris won the games that didn't matter, going 4-0 after being eliminated from the playoffs and 12-18 with a viable path to the Super Bowl. While there were positive signs of growth under the former defensive coordinator — namely a pass rush that had hibernated through full seasons springing to life — Atlanta's offense remained less than the sum of its parts. The Falcons came into Week 18 ranked 24th in points scored and 21st in expected points added (EPA) per dropback.
Being good in a way that doesn't matter has become an Atlanta hallmark, but team owner Arthur Blank is 83 years old. He's only seen six playoff wins in his 24 years guiding the franchise and hasn't even been to the postseason since 2018. Being interesting wasn't enough for an owner who needs wins now. The next man up will inherit a jumbled quarterback situation and a draft chest missing its 2026 first round pick thanks to the deal that made James Pearce Jr. a key part of the team's edge rush as a rookie.
Coaches fired during the 2025 NFL season
Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Daboll, the 2022 AP Coach of the Year, went 11-33 in the two-plus seasons following that Daniel Jones breakthrough. He was unable to turn New York's defensive stars into a constellation and couldn't overcome injuries to his skill players, leading to his ouster after 10 games.
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
Callahan went 4-19 before being fired six games into the regular season. Interim head coach Mike McCoy coaxed enough growth from Cam Ward to double Tennessee's wins over the final 11 games of the season, but it wasn't enough to make him a viable candidate for the full-time job.
Coaches who appear to be safe
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
The Jets went 3-14 and, remarkably, failed to record a single interception in 2025 (Glenn's last defense with the Detroit Lions had 16 in 2024). Even so, team owner Woody Johnson has told insiders Glenn will get a second year to turn things around in New York.
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones' torn Achilles (and the broken leg that preceded it) appear to have given Steichen a reprieve despite sliding from 7-1 to 8-9 this fall. Steichen has zero playoff appearances in three seasons at the helm. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has one playoff win in nine years and none since Andrew Luck's retirement. They're getting one more chance to fix things in 2026.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati sacrificed defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo at the altar of a disappointing season in 2024. Taylor won't join him despite 2025's backslide. Taylor has Joe Burrow's support, and the star quarterback managed to go 5-3 as a starter this season when healthy.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Black Monday tracker 2026 with every NFL coach fired, live updates
Continue reading...
