Although the Falcons ended the season on a four-game winning streak, it was not enough to save general manager Terry Fontenot or head coach Raheem Morris. Hours after wrapping up an 8-9 season, the Falcons fired the duo on Sunday night.
There was cautious optimism on the Falcons’ staff that the club’s late surge would prevent a housecleaning, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, that small sample of success came after the Falcons had already been eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. It wasn’t enough to convince owner Arthur Blank to give Fontenot or Morris another shot in 2026.
Blank’s Falcons have now gone eight straight years without earning a postseason berth. Fontenot was atop the team’s front office for five of those seasons, all of which ended with either seven or eight wins.
Morris had a shorter leash than Fontenot, lasting just two seasons as Arthur Smith‘s successor. He received his walking papers after overseeing back-to-back 8-9 campaigns.
Fontenot’s handling of the quarterback position helped lead to his undoing in Atlanta. The move to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM guaranteed in March 2024 backfired. Fontenot took the gamble just five months after Cousins’ last season with the Vikings ended with a torn Achilles. In reworking Cousins’ contract on Tuesday, the Falcons all but guaranteed that they’ll release the 37-year-old sometime in the next two months.
Atlanta pulled the plug on Cousins as its starter late in his first season with the team. Fontenot stunningly used the eighth overall pick on former Indiana and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. mere weeks after signing Cousins. With Cousins posting lackluster production and struggling to stay healthy in his first 14 starts in 2024, Morris replaced him with Penix.
While Penix retained the job this year, he underwhelmed before his season ended with a partially torn left ACL in Week 11. It added to a long line of health woes for the left-handed Penix, who tore his right ACL twice and suffered season-ending injuries to both shoulders in college. His most recent knee injury “dinged Fontenot’s draft profile a bit,” Fowler writes.
When healthy, Penix hasn’t necessarily looked the part of a franchise passer. The 25-year-old has put up a 59.6 completion percentage with 7.2 yards per attempt, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 85.8 rating in 14 games. However, Morris’ firing may give Penix a better chance to unlock his potential.
In speaking with “multiple scouts and coaches,” Fowler heard that the Falcons’ offense under Morris and coordinator Zac Robinson wasn’t the right fit for Penix. The scheme didn’t make good enough use of his arm strength, those individuals told Fowler.
With Fontenot and Morris gone, it’ll be up to a new regime to decide how to proceed with Penix. The Falcons haven’t found a franchise QB since Matt Ryan‘s 14-year run as their signal-caller ended in 2021. Five years later, Ryan is likely to return to Atlanta as its president of football operations. In taking on that position, Ryan would have plenty of say over Penix’s future.
I doubt that Atlanta will put a better coaching staff in. In this case, continuity looked like the path to a playoff berth next year. Penix with his injury history doesn’t look like a full season solution, regardless of theoretical arm strength.
It would be hard to have a worse coaching staff to be fair.
With Harbaugh, Robinson might get to 2000 yards in a season but the team still needs a QB. Who could be a good option for his offense if he went there?
Could he go for Willis, Flacco, or someone else, till Penix is healthy?
I get a feeling Harbaugh could go to Buffalo or GB if they lose to the Jags and Bears.
These people are saying the coaching staff might not be the best fit for Penix, but it kinda seems like this staff’s biggest sin was falling in love with Penix after the Cousins signing. They reached for Penix when they had just signed a quarterback when they could have taken Verse or Dallas Turner and then not felt so urgent about throwing so many resources at the pass rush a year later.
Might as well keep Cousins. Go for a low end starter, Mac Jones or Malik Willis, then trade back as much as possible for picks in the 2027 draft. Why take the cap hit?
Arty, why would the Falcons keep Cousins and go for a low end starter? Surely Cousins and Penix are enough QB’s on the roster…
I believe that Cousins restructure makes him more affordable to be released.
I saw that as well. So they’re out of QB 1 & 2 next season w/o a 1st round pick? Losing teams lose constantly for reasons. Penix isn’t great as a starter either. Last offseason set the Falcons back a few years w/ QB carousel.
Lets see about that 1st rd pick we don’t have this year. Didn’t we use it to get James Pearce who btw led all rookies is sacks. Oh, let’s not forget that that trade also got us Xavier Watts, who ironically led all rookies in interceptions. Not bad two starters who now have a years experience heading into 2026. Could we get two starters like them for this years pick ??
Hopefully you can.
Besides Penix has a blown knee for the 3rd time and Cousins is a proven B/U??? 2026 is a lost year for Atlanta, get the current QB’s salaries off the books for 2027.
Man being a falcons fan is so draining.
At least you’re not a Jets fan. Or Browns.
@mustard-i feel gets pain. Can’t imagine about 16 years since last playoff appearance let alone a winning QB.
Yeah that zero INT stats is unbelievable. J-E-T-S doing the (seemingly) impossible.
What do you think, bring back Pitts and hope the receivers can stay healthy next year when Penix comes back? I think Okonkwo or Likely could also be good options, if they bring in another passer.
@brian—im still not sold on Pitts and wouldn’t know his market value in comparison to McBride Kittle & others.
I think Pitts would be a player that McVay would look at in LA.
Pitts would flourish elsewhere falcons didn’t use him correctly minus his rookie year. He would be amazing replacement for Kelce in Kansas City too
Send penix to Rams or steelers for a 2nd rounder. And sign mac jones or malik Willis for a year