Seahawks, LT Charles Cross Agree On Extension
As Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross missed his third game in a row with injury, he and the team were able to agree to a new extension. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Seattle and Cross have come to terms on a four-year, $104.4MM extension. The deal pays out $40.5MM in the first year and included $75MM in guaranteed money. 
The deal comes with little surprise. When Cross expressed his interest in an extension in the weeks leading up to his fourth season in the NFL, the Seahawks shut down any notion of that occurring during that time. The team had been operating under the notion that they don’t extend contracts that have more than a year left on them, and after Cross’ fifth-year option was exercised last April, the then-24-year-old still had two years left on his slate. As soon as one of those years was finished and Cross had only one year left, Seattle couldn’t even wait 24 hours to extend their blindside blocker.
The new contract makes Cross the fifth-highest paid offensive tackle (per annual average value) in the NFL behind Rashawn Slater, Tristan Wirfs, (right tackle) Penei Sewell, and Trent Williams. Perhaps more impressive, Cross’ contract is the largest for a non-quarterback in franchise history, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Cross is more than deserving of the new deal. Since getting drafted by the Seahawks at No. 9 overall in 2022, Cross has started in all but six games (consisting of two three-week absences). He established himself as one of the best tackles in the league last year as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him out as the ninth-best player at his position last year. He followed that up with a ranking at 27th out of 87 this year.
Though three of those six career absences have consecutively come in the past three weeks due to a hamstring injury, Cross is expected to be back in the lineup for the playoffs. Luckily for Cross and the Seahawks, the team’s victory over the division-rival 49ers secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, so the 25-year-old will have a little extra time to work his way back to the field. They’ve clearly decided to be productive with the two weeks they have until their next game as they checked one thing off the offseason checklist nice and early.
Colts To Retain Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard For 2026
While some changes could be coming on the sidelines or in the front office relatively soon, the Colts will have a large degree of stability in both regards. Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard are both safe, per a team announcement. 
This news comes as little surprise. Recent indications for both Ballard and Steichen have suggested they would be safe for 2026, and that is now officially the case. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will conduct a press conference on Monday, per the announcement.
Ballard and Steichen were floated as hot seat occupants entering the campaign based on their inability to find success following the Anthony Richardson selection. Expectations were tempered early with Daniel Jones at the helm, but his surprising level of play helped guide Indianapolis to a record of 8-2 at the bye. A postseason berth – and potential the AFC’s top seed – seemed well within reach. The past two months have seen a dramatic decline, however.
Jones suffered a partial fibula fracture and then an Achilles tear, ending his promising season. Injuries have also dealt a notable blow on defense in general and the secondary in particular throughout 2025. That factor, coupled with a string of challenging matchups against playoff-bound opponents, contributed to a seven-game losing streak to finish the campaign. As ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes, the Colts have become the first time in league history to finish with a losing record despite being at least six games over .500 at one point.
That unwanted piece of history would add to the case against Ballard in particular. Holder confirms, however, that the late-season collapse did not play a major role in deciding the fate of the Colts’ HC-GM combo. The team will look for better luck on the health front and for dividends from moves such as the Sauce Gardner trade, one which leaves it without a first-round pick in 2026 or ’27. Retaining Jones will loom as a major priority.
Ballard has operated as Indianapolis’ general manager since 2017. In that span, the team has gone 70-78-1, reaching the postseason on only two occasions. With just one playoff victory to his name, Ballard drew increasing criticism for his reliance on retaining in-house player for much of his tenure. 2025 saw a departure in philosophy, with the Gardner blockbuster being preceded by multiple free agent splashes. In her first full offseason running the team, Irsay-Gordon has elected to allow Ballard to continue seeing out the vision set forth last spring.
Steichen was hired in 2023 after a strong run as an offensive coordinator with the Chargers and Eagles. The 40-year-old guided the team to a 9-8 finish in his first season in place. 2025 marks the second in a row with a record of 8-9, but that run of mediocrity and an absence of playoff action will not outweigh the impressive showings from Indianapolis early this year.
The AFC South features a Jaguars team which went 13-4 in 2025 and a Texans squad preparing for its third straight playoff appearance. The Titans will likely have increased expectations for next year, Cam Ward‘s second in the NFL. The Colts will rely on familiar faces as they look to replicate the success from this fall moving forward.
Titans’ Cam Ward Suffers Shoulder Injury
Titans quarterback Cam Ward‘s rookie season came to an unceremoniously early ending today when he exited today’s season finale with an injury. Ward has been initially diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe and Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. 
Ward landed on shoulder of his throwing arm while reaching for the end zone on the Titans’ first drive of Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun landed on top of the No. 1 overall pick, driving him harder into the ground. Ward briefly went into the blue tent before making his way to the locker room and was seen later on the sideline in sweats.
Despite the injury, the 23-year-old started every game for the Titans in his rookie campaign. Though Ward had appeared on the team’s injury report back in Week 4 with ankle/calf issues, and though Ward was the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL this year (55, tied with Raiders quarterback Geno Smith), Ward had played 100 percent of the team’s offensive snaps up to that point of the season. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen‘s first snaps today were Tennessee’s first offensive snaps without Ward on the field this year.
AC joint sprain recovery times vary depending on the degree of severity. A milder Grade 1 sprain may take a couple weeks to shake off, whereas a Grade 3 sprain could take several months to recover from. The team saw former starter Will Levis suffer an AC joint sprain early in his second year with the team. He was cleared after the Titans’ bye week and started the next game without missing any time, but he reaggravated the injury in his first game after the injury and was sidelined for the next three weeks. Levis underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July before this season, but it’s unclear if the procedure was related to the AC joint sprain or a more recent injury.
Ward’s injury ended a rookie season that he will want to quickly move on from. Coming into the final week of the season, Ward ranked 25th in the NFL in passing yards per game and dead last in touchdowns per pass attempt. As mentioned above, he also led the league in sacks taken and yards lost from sacks. Many of these troubling stats can be attributed to Ward adjusting to the speed difference from college to the pros, but the quality of the players around him should not be ignored.
While Ward certainly needs to get the ball out quicker in certain situations, he was under pressure on 27.9 percent of his pass attempts, the third-highest percentage in the league. His receivers also racked up the 12th-most drops in the NFL and finished 27th in the NFL in yards after catch. Ward did show bright spots, though, like only throwing seven interceptions, good for an interception rate of 1.3 percent — the third-best such figure in the NFL this year. He also was able to keep plays alive with his legs and turn broken plays into highlights, something he was known to do in college, as well.
All-in-all, the Titans still believe that Ward is their franchise quarterback, but his development is going to be crucial as he looks to take another step forward in Year 2. The team will likely have Ward undergo some testing to determine the exact severity of today’s injury, and they’ll hope that the resulting recovery time won’t keep him from being available for OTAs in May.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Giants Planning To Stick With Joe Schoen; Joe Brady, Davis Webb On HC Radar
5:15pm: Stefanski looms as a strong candidate to be dismissed soon, and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer names him (video link) as a coach to watch closely as the hiring cycle takes shape. Colleague Ralph Vacchiano agrees, and he predicts Stefanski will rise to the top of the Giants’ list of preferred hires if/when he hits the market. Meanwhile, a number of HC candidates have mentioned Stefanski in conversations with Scoop City‘s James Palmer knowing he will be an attractive option for multiple teams. It remains to be seen if the Giants will be one on that front, but that would come as little surprise.
9:33am: Joe Schoen has received praise for modernizing the Giants’ organization, but that has not translated to wins. The Giants will end this season with three or four wins; this follows a 3-14 campaign in which John Mara said his patience had nearly run out. Brian Daboll paid for the Giants’ struggles, but his former Bills coworker has not.
As it stands, Schoen is expected to stay on, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones noting his expectation of the embattled GM being given the chance to hire a second coach. One way the Giants could deviate from this planned course: a Trent Baalke-like situation forming.
Last year, the Jaguars had Baalke running their coaching search, keeping the struggling GM after firing Doug Pederson. Weeks into that search, it became clear candidates were expressing hesitancy working with Baalke. This affected the Jags’ pursuit of Ben Johnson, among others. When Liam Coen initially declined a second interview, Shad Khan pulled the plug and fired Baalke. That decision led Coen to Jacksonville. A coach not wanting to work with Schoen could change the Giants’ plans, SI.com’s Albert Breer offers.
Schoen has naturally said he does not anticipate his presence hurting the Giants’ search, but it will be interesting to see if that is the case. The Giants have been one of the NFL’s worst teams over the past nine seasons, qualifying for the playoffs once in that span. They have gone through four full-time HCs since ousting Tom Coughlin. Schoen has been on the job since 2022; the Giants are 12-38 since 2023.
That said, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson notes one expected HC candidate referred to this as the top available job due to the Giants’ rostering Jaxson Dart, some skill-position talent and a formidable defensive line. That D-line, it can be argued, did not play to its potential this season; Dart has also lacked both Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo for most of the year. But those players’ presences stand to help New York’s sales pitches to candidates. Though, plenty of needs exist along this roster.
Mara is battling cancer, and Schoen staying on would give the Giants some stability during this search. Schoen’s 2022 playoff berth being rather fluky notwithstanding, it is clear he has support in the building. It would have to be expected Schoen’s seat would be scorching should he indeed have the chance to hire a second coach, but plenty of names are being connected to this search.
Mike McCarthy, Antonio Pierce, Lou Anarumo and, if he is indeed fired by the Browns, Kevin Stefanski, are among candidates expected to be considered to replace Daboll. The current Bills OC — Joe Brady — is also on the radar, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
Brady was not with the Bills when Schoen was in Buffalo, with the ex-Panthers OC arriving as QBs coach weeks after Schoen departed for the Big Apple. Considering the dearth of offense-oriented candidates in this year’s pool, Brady should have plenty of interview opportunities if he indeed wants to leave Buffalo. But the Giants firing a former Josh Allen whisperer only to hire another would be an odd move.
One outside-the-box candidate who could join the lot of aspirants: Davis Webb, per Rapoport and Pelissero. Webb has not yet reached the coordinator level, residing as the Broncos’ QBs coach, but he has an extensive past in New York as a backup/third-string option.
Webb only wrapped his playing career after the 2022 season, being hired on Sean Payton‘s staff. While the Broncos are highly unlikely to lose OC Joe Lombardi — who is not seen as a head coaching candidate — Webb could be poached for an OC position elsewhere. A jump from the position coaching level to HC is highly uncommon, but the Giants appear willing to at least consider the prospect. Webb is just 30.
Even in a league that saw Sean McVay coach the Rams at 31 and Josh McDaniels begin his Broncos HC tenure at 33, this age range is considered a bit young for the job. Webb, though, has seen his stock rise while in Denver. He already earned a prominent assistant job without any previous experience, and the Bills wanted him for their staff before his playing career ended. Webb turned that down to stay on as a Giants backup for one more season; that doubled as Schoen’s first with the team.
Colts Expected To Retain HC Shane Steichen
The Colts’ end-of-season slide out of the playoffs has stirred some speculation about the future of head coach Shane Steichen, but he is expected to be retained for the 2026 season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Losing the last seven games of the year is a black mark on the record of any head coach, but Steichen has a massive mitigating factor: injuries to his starting quarterback. Daniel Jones was playing on a fractured fibula in November and then tore his Achilles at the beginning of December.
Up to that point, he was – as surprising as it sounds – one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season and the Colts had one of the league’s best offenses. Jones still ranks among the league’s top-10 passers in yards per game, yards per attempt, completion rate, passer rating, and total QBR. It would be difficult for any team to withstand that loss.
Steichen’s success with Jones, a former top-10 pick turned reclamation project, is the Colts’ main reason to keep him. While Jones’ exact future is uncertain after his injury, the Colts appeared to be interested in re-signing him for 2026 and beyond. Since Steichen has brought out the best version of Jones, it would make little sense to move on now.
What’s more, the Colts have improved on both sides of the ball in each year of Steichen’s tenure, and 2025 was set to be his most successful season by far until Jones went down. Again, firing that head coach three years into the job feels like the wrong move.
Sill, Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon is somewhat of an unknown heading into the offseason. Similar to her late father, Jim Irsay, she has taken a hands-on approach with running the franchise. Just as some have questioned Steichen’s job security, even more have wondered if general manager Chris Ballard could be on his way out. The Colts have never won the AFC South in his nine years as general manager, but he may be given some grace for the same reason as Steichen. Ballard built what appeared to be a competitive team this year, including his aggressive trade deadline acquisition of Sauce Gardner. His ability to make that move is an indicator that his job was relatively secure, though the Colts’ late-season struggles have re-raised those questions.
Ultimately, Ballard and Steichen are expected to stay in Indianapolis, but both – especially Ballard – could find themselves on the hot seat next year.
Steelers, Mike Tomlin Could Split After Season
What was unthinkable a few years ago has become a possibility: the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin could part ways this offseason.
Pittsburgh won their ninth game in Week 16, guaranteeing a winning record for the sixth year in a row and the 16th in Tomlin’s 19 years as head coach. He has never led the Steelers to a losing season.
However, Tomlin has not won a playoff game since 2016 with exits in the wild card round in four of the last five seasons. The Steelers’ lack of a franchise quarterback has been a clear limiting factor in the postseason, but they never play poorly enough in the regular season for a top draft pick. This has created a difficult cycle in Pittsburgh that can only be altered by an expensive trade-up in the draft or parting ways with Tomlin.
The latter has never seemed to be an option, until now. Firing Tomlin outright is unlikely, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but he and the team may mutually agree to part ways. The veteran head coach may be looking for a “reset” via a broadcasting gig before returning to an NFL head coaching job, according to both Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
Tomlin would no doubt be one of the hottest head coaching candidates if available, whether that happens this offseason or in the future. The Steelers might be best served by trading Tomlin, but the no-trade clause in his contract and the timeline of the NFL’s hiring cycle are two significant roadblocks, per Jones.
The Steelers have already considered the possibility of a post-Tomlin future. They had “internal discussions” about Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Multiple teams had interest in the 39-year-old, who opted to take an improved contract to stay in South Bend rather than entertain an NFL job. Freeman’s desires could change in the future and potentially offer Pittsburgh another opportunity to secure Tomlin’s successor, provided such a change does not happen this offseason.
Ravens Expected To Keep Lamar Jackson; John Harbaugh Future Uncertain?
Recent local and national media coverage of the Ravens has revived the idea that Lamar Jackson could be on his way out of Baltimore this offseason.
Obviously, it makes no sense for an NFL team to move on from a two-time MVP quarterback, and the Ravens are not expected to make such a colossal mistake. Less certain is the future of head coach John Harbaugh, who has overseen an uneven year in Baltimore.
“That seems to be a situation right now that’s up in the air, where both sides will meet and discuss after the seasons what they want to do and what direction they want to go,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Sunday. He believes Harbaugh’s job is “still leaning safe,” and does not expect an outright firing.
The same belief is held by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who said that both Harbaugh and Jackson are expected to remain in Baltimore for at least another year.
“I don’t expect a firing in any sense,” said Rapoport of Harbaugh, but noted that other staff changes could be on the way.
This kind of about Harbaugh’s job security is new, indicating that fans’ disappointment about this season is felt in equal measure inside the organization. It may not be enough for the Ravens to part ways with their longtime coach, but even having such discussions is a sign that pressure is building in Baltimore.
Ultimately, the decision will come down to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, who has long favored continuity and stability with his front office and coaching staff.
Though Harbaugh seems safe heading into Sunday night’s game in Pittsburgh, a loss could obviously change things. The Steelers would complete a season sweep of their rivals and take the divisional crown and a playoff spot. That would violate two of the Ravens’ core tenets: beat Pittsburgh, and make the playoffs. If Harbaugh can no longer achieve those goals, it may be time to move on.
Joe Burrow Supports Bengals Retaining HC Zac Taylor
Joe Burrow let his feelings about Bengals personnel matters be known last year, when he offered staunch support for the team extending Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson. The superstar quarterback went 1-for-2 on that front, but the effort did show the power he wields in the building.
Burrow comments about a lack of satisfaction presently raised eyebrows around the league, as the Bengals are wrapping a third straight season that will fall short of the playoffs. While voicing an expectation he’d be part of the 2026 Bengals, Burrow did not shut the door on potentially playing elsewhere down the road. Some took these efforts as Burrow applying pressure on the Bengals, but the heat the QB may or may not be putting on the franchise does not appear to pertain to Zac Taylor.
The seventh-year Cincinnati HC has Burrow’s full support, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Taylor has taken criticism for not having the Bengals ready to play early in seasons, as a host of September losses have hurt in playoff pushes, but he has been at the helm throughout Burrow’s career. Burrow does not appear eager to transition to a new system, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report Taylor is indeed safe for 2026.
Taylor, 42, made the rare jump from the quarterbacks coach level to HC, vaulting from the Rams’ QBs coach to Bengals HC. While Taylor’s first year went poorly, the Bengals timed their faceplant well. The 2-14 season landed them Burrow at No. 1 overall, much to the Dolphins’ chagrin, and he transformed the franchise’s fortunes.
Taylor guided the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI and then had them in the 2022 AFC championship game, where a crucial final-minute late hit helped the Chiefs escape the visitors’ charge. Since then, however, the Bengals have fallen off the AFC’s top tier. Burrow injuries in 2023 and ’25 defined those seasons, but he played throughout 2024 and saw the team’s defensive issues deny a playoff spot.
The Bengals had been expected to neither tinker with their HC or GM roles, with de facto GM Duke Tobin also expected back. While Burrow throwing support behind Taylor is certainly important for the sideline leader’s status, is the passer’s perceived issue with the front office? Tobin has been with Cincinnati since 1999, being an integral part of Mike Brown‘s operation. The Bengals have drifted southward in the NFL hierarchy during the mid-2020s, and Burrow has let it be known he is not exactly thrilled with the way things have gone.
Teams are expected to call the Bengals on Burrow, but that is unlikely to matter much. Burrow is one of the game’s best quarterbacks and plays for an organization known for digging its heels in against player demands. See: the Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart 2025 matters for recent examples. The Bengals remain committed to Burrow, and based on Sunday morning’s classification of Taylor’s status, the head coach has an important backer. But a turnaround will need to come in 2026. Taylor and Tobin will be the ones leading the way yet again.
Cardinals Likely To Retain Jonathan Gannon
Earlier this week, Jonathan Gannon was viewed as being on a hotter seat compared to GM Monti Ossenfort. Despite the Cardinals taking a major step back from last season, it appears ownership is planning to stick with both power brokers.
With no real buzz about Ossenfort losing his job surfacing, a few Gannon reports have come out. Gannon is likely to see a fourth season on the job, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note. A chance for Gannon and Ossenfort to nab their own quarterback — as a split with Steve Keim/Kliff Kingsbury-era addition Kyler Murray is widely expected — is on track to come with a fourth season. Two years remain on both contracts, SI.com’s Albert Breer adds.
[RELATED: Gannon Expects To Keep Job For 2026]
Michael Bidwill has generally given coaches a bit more time. Kingsbury received four years, though it is worth noting Bidwill fired him months after extending him. Bruce Arians retired after five, while Ken Whisenhunt was on for six seasons.
Though, it is worth mentioning Kingsbury and Whisenhunt had made playoff berths by Year 3. Bidwill, who took over as the Cardinals’ controlling owner in 2007, did fire Steve Wilks after one season. Gannon finishing (at best) with two 4-13 seasons in his first three seasons and making it to Year 4 would be rare, but Breer adds Bidwill still likes his HC and believes a turnaround can happen.
The much-criticized owner not wanting to pay three coaches also plays into this decision, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Kingsbury signed a through-2027 extension in 2022, with Gannon also under contract through 2027. Offset language regularly exists in these deals, but Kingsbury’s Commanders salary is south of where his Cardinals HC AAV. An offense dealing with injuries also could save Gannon, per Jones, despite the HC’s primary unit regressing. Gannon and DC Nick Rallis have overseen a production drop on defense, with that group ranking 29th in scoring and 26th in yardage after placing 15th and 21st in those categories last year.
Arizona’s offense has played most of the season without Murray, though some of that portion is due to an organizational choice to shut down a player no longer in the long-term plan, with James Conner and Marvin Harrison Jr. suffering injuries as well. Next year will be crucial for the Cardinals’ power duo, as a Murray trade (or release) will precede a true investment in a replacement. Gannon and Ossenfort had offered consistent praise for Murray for years, but the seventh-year passer wore out his welcome in 2025.
Staff changes should be expected, Breer adds. This could mean OC Drew Petzing is elsewhere. It would be interesting if Gannon fired Rallis, who came over from Philadelphia with him in 2023, and Petzing’s unit ranks higher (23rd points, 19th yards). Petzing came over from the Browns in 2023, but HCs on hot seats regularly turn to coordinator firings. It would seem Gannon staying would mean at least one of these two staffers will be out.
Falcons Leaning Toward Retaining Raheem Morris, Firing GM Terry Fontenot
10:25am: Morris is indeed expected to receive another year on the job, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The three-game win streak has helped a coach that was once viewed as on the way out, though Schefter points to staff changes taking place if/once Morris’ second stint with the organization is given a third season.
8:11am: The Falcons have an odd role to play in determining the NFC South champion today, with their result of their Saints matchup deciding if the Buccaneers or Panthers will book the conference’s No. 4 seed. A win, however, will not move Atlanta into the playoffs. This will run the franchise’s postseason drought to eight years.
Terry Fontenot has been the GM for five of those years, and the Falcons have not completed a winning season. Arthur Blank has been evaluating his staff, most notably tabbing consultants to provide information about whether the current operation is effective. The writing may be on the wall for Fontenot.
[RELATED: How Will Falcons Proceed With Fontenot, Raheem Morris?]
As it stands, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports many around the NFL expect the Falcons to move on from Fontenot but retain Morris. The Falcons have won three consecutive games down the stretch in Morris’ second season as the team’s full-time HC, but they are still falling short of expectations. That said, Morris is responsible for an 8-9 2024 season — the organization’s best record since 2017 — and could follow that up with another.
While that may not go down as a substantial victory for Morris — whom the Falcons employed as their interim HC in 2020 — back-to-back eight-win seasons would make for a hard-luck firing given the organizational struggles in the years prior to his return. He is still viewed as being on the hot seat entering Week 18, but the winning streak has certainly helped his prospects.
For Fontenot, however, two straight eight-win campaigns would make it look like the team has hit a wall — especially considering Arthur Smith‘s three 7-10 seasons to begin the GM’s tenure. The Falcons’ team-building approach is under scrutiny amid Blank’s decision to bring in consultants, per Russini.
Prior to the Falcons’ historically unusual decision to sign a quarterback to a big-ticket contract only to draft his successor six weeks later, the team used three consecutive top-10 picks on skill-position players. Fontenot has seen the Kirk Cousins signing help Drake London and Kyle Pitts, — albeit while his QB2 salary (for 2025, at least) ate into the team’s ability to built out its roster this year — while Morris consistently touts Bijan Robinson as the NFL’s best player, but the moves have not made a considerable difference in the win column.
The Falcons also struggled for years to find a pass rusher, memorably choosing Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall last year and tabling the need. But the team did rectify that in this year’s draft, adding Jalon Walker and James Pearce. The Falcons enter Week 18 second in the NFL with 53 sacks. Penix, though, was erratic in his second season.
To obtain that Walker and Pearce, Fontenot traded the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick. A team has sacrificed a future first-rounder for a pass rusher on draft weekend only a handful of times over the past 30 years, and the Rams are positioned to hold a high draft choice as a result. Blank greenlighting that move only to fire Fontenot a year later will be an interesting decision, but the Falcons’ struggles turning the corner has certainly tested the owner’s patience.
The Penix move also came a year after the Falcons sat on their hands at quarterback, refraining from pursuing an upgrade and handing the job to 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder. The Ridder development helped lead to Smith’s ouster. Fontenot was also believed to have played a role, alongside team president Rich McKay, in dissuading Blank from hiring Bill Belichick to replace Smith in 2024. The coach that did land the job would be expected to make changes if he retains it, but Morris could see this late winning streak spare him.
While staff changes would undoubtedly come if the Falcons retain Morris, how their organizational structure looks if/once Fontenot is fired will be something to monitor. The Falcons are believed to have increased Fontenot’s responsibilities upon moving McKay away from a day-to-day role in 2024. McKay has been with the franchise since 2003. McKay played a central role in Atlanta’s 2024 HC search and had remained close with Morris from their days in Tampa. He and Morris may be left to pick up the pieces while Fontenot — hired from the Saints — lands elsewhere south of the GM tier.