Falcons release statement on firing of Raheem Morris, Terry Fontenot

[ASFN Admin]

The Atlanta Falcons surprised those around the NFL by firing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot following Sunday's season finale. Despite the team's four-game winning streak to close the year, the organization has largely underachieved over the last two seasons.

Morris went 16-18 overall as the Falcons head coach, finishing 8-9 in back-to-back years. As for Fontenot, the team missed the playoffs in all five years that he was in Atlanta. The Falcons made some progress with their 2025 NFL draft class, however, team owner Arthur Blank had apparently seen enough.

Blank put out a statement after firing Morris and Fontenot on Sunday evening.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank on firing Raheem Morris, Terry Fontenot:​

I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward. The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits. -- Falcons owner Arthur Blank

The Falcons haven't made the playoffs since 2017, but they finished the 2025 season tied for the best record in the division. Atlanta's defense made some major improvements, recording a franchise-record 57 sacks this season. Rookies James Pearce Jr., Jalon Walker and Xavier Watts all had stellar years.

Don't be surprised to see former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan join the team's front office in some capacity.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons put out statement on firing Raheem Morris, Terry Fontenot

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