Raheem Morris named new Falcons head coach
Nearly a half-decade after being the organization’s interim head coach after Dan Quinn’s dismissal, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has officially been named the new Atlanta Falcons head coach, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter first reported Thursday.
He will take over for Arthur Smith, who was let go after three seasons with Atlanta, where he went 21-30 (7-10 in each season).
Others in the running for the Falcons job included former longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
The team has not formally announced Morris’ hiring yet as of this publishing.
Morris, 47, took over for Quinn amid an 0-5 start to begin the 2020 season. Morris finished 4-7 in his only season in Atlanta, getting hired as the Rams’ defensive coordinator the following offseason in place of Brandon Staley, who was hired to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach. He was head coach from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-11, where he went 17-31.
As a result of leaving the Rams, they will receive two third-round compensatory picks–one each in the 2024 and 2025 drafts. According to Over The Cap’s Nick Korte, the picks will either be No. 100 or 101 for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Morris helped the Rams win their second-ever Super Bowl in 2021 while also fashioning an above-average defense in 2023. He is a well-respected players coach throughout the NFL.
Here is what a couple players who played under Morris thought of him earning the Atlanta job:
If the Falcons can find a competent answer behind center as well as a capable offensive coordinator who can get the best out of Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London, their team should have much better success in 2024 and beyond.
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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.
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