Ravens Fire HC John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh‘s lengthy Ravens tenure is coming to an end. The Super Bowl-winning head coach has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz describes this as a mutual parting of ways, although in the wake of Week 18 Harbaugh expressed a desire to continue in his current role. That will no longer be the case. The remainder of the coaching staff is currently being informed of the news, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.
[RELATED: Giants Preparing Aggressive Run At Harbaugh?]
Harbaugh believed he would be safe as of earlier today, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport notes (video link). A lengthy conversation with owner Steve Bisciotti resulted in today’s decision being made, Schultz adds. It appears a split existed between the two on the matter of coaching staff makeup.
Harbaugh refused to entertain the thought of dismissing offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. That proved to be a “key pressure point” leading to this unexpected news. Monken had overseen back-to-back Lamar Jackson first-team All-Pro seasons, but a rumor about the Ravens being ready to consider coordinator changes emerged shortly after the 26-24 loss to the Steelers. The Browns have requested an HC interview with Monken.
“Following a comprehensive evaluation of the season and the overall direction of our organization, I decided to make a change at head coach,” Bisciotti said. “Today I informed John that he has been relieved of his duties. This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity.”
Leading up to the regular-season finale, many suggested a firing would come as a surprise. In the aftermath of Baltimore’s last-second loss on Sunday night, though, it remained unclear whether or not the 18-year partnership between team and coach would continue. Harbaugh had three years remaining on his contract thanks to the extension he signed last March. Now, the Ravens will conduct a head coaching search for the first time since 2008.
Especially in the early portion of his Baltimore tenure, Harbaugh enjoyed a strong run of success. Baltimore won at least one playoff game during each of his first five years in charge. That span was highlighted by victory in Super Bowl XLVII against a 49ers team lead by his brother Jim. Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco (whose career began in 2008) quickly developed a reputation for playoff success. This culminated in a dominant postseason run that included road wins over the No. 1-seeded Broncos and No. 2-slotted Patriots, leading to that dramatic win in the Harbaugh Bowl.
Consistent turnover at the offensive coordinator spot in particular proved to be a common theme through much of the Harbaugh-Flacco era, and over time the postseason runs led by them became less frequent. Still, Harbaugh’s eight road wins in the playoffs remain an all-time NFL record (h/t Schefter). The 2025 campaign represents only his third in which the Ravens finished with a losing record.
As Flacco aged, his regular-season showings began to wane and questions were raised about a potential succession plan. In 2018, Baltimore traded back into the first round to select Jackson. A Flacco back injury opened the door for Jackson to take on starting duties as a rookie midway though the campaign, and a strong finish to the season avoided what would have been a fourth straight year outside of the playoffs at the time. Before the Ravens had clinched a spot, though, Harbaugh had already received a new commitment from Bisciotti.
Overseeing the Ravens’ transition to a far different offense with Jackson, things went well early on. Jackson unanimously won the MVP award in 2019, with Harbaugh taking home Coach of the Year honors. Baltimore was the AFC’s No. 1 seed that year and faced high expectations as a result. An upset loss to the Titans proved to be one of many shortcomings in January that Baltimore has encountered since then, however.
During Jackson’s eight-year career, the Ravens have reached the playoffs six times. Injuries (including in 2025) have played a factor in the instances where that was not the case, but all told Baltimore has reached just one AFC title game in that span. The Ravens lost to the Chiefs as the No. 1 seed. Breaking through in the AFC playoff picture will be a goal early and often for Harbaugh’s successor, someone who will inherit a roster led by Jackson and several other highly-regarded players on both sides of the ball.
Harbaugh, meanwhile, will instantly be seen as a top candidate in the 2026 pool presuming he decides to coach next season. The 63-year-old was mentioned early today as someone on the radar of HC-needy teams like the Falcons and Giants. Interest is expected to be widespread around the league.
Overall, Harbaugh’s Baltimore tenure ends with 12 playoff appearances (including six division titles). His regular-season win percentage sits at .614 and his resume includes a 13-11 record in the postseason. Harbaugh signed six extensions as Ravens HC, including one that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid HCs earlier this year. A former special teams assistant during Andy Reid‘s Eagles stint, Harbaugh now faces an uncertain future for the first time in nearly two decades.
Commanders, Kliff Kingsbury Part Ways
A weekend report indicated Kliff Kingsbury would not be a lock to return as Commanders OC. Despite his offense helping Jayden Daniels to Offensive Rookie of the Year acclaim in 2024, Kingsbury is indeed out in Washington.
The sides are parting ways, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero classifying it as a mutual decision. After the Commanders pried Kingsbury from the Raiders’ grasp in 2024, the former Cardinals HC will be a coaching free agent again. Multiple OC options are set to present themselves, with Pelissero adding Kingsbury is drawing HC interest as well.
[RELATED: Commanders Fire DC Joe Whitt]
The weekend offering from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated Kingsbury and GM Adam Peters were not seeing eye-to-eye. This separation will stand to make Kingsbury a coveted OC option, and it will be interesting to see which teams reach out regarding head coaching interviews. While this gives Kingsbury more options, the Commanders will now throw Daniels into a new offense.
This separation comes after a Kingsbury meeting with Dan Quinn, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds it comes after Daniels gave his OC a strong endorsement. Other members of Washington’s offense were “blindsided” by the move, per insider Jordan Schultz, who adds key players on offense are disappointed in this decision.
Daniels dazzled as a rookie, separating from a deep QB class. Daniels’ breakout season booked the Commanders into the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years. The former Heisman winner’s sophomore NFL slate, however, became an injury-riddled slog. Daniels suffered three injuries and played in only seven games. In those seven games, his completion percentage cratered compared to his rookie year — from 69.0 to 60.6 — and his yards per attempt dropped to 6.7.
Still, Kingsbury was viewed as a high-end HC commodity last year — even on a market that included Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson. The resurgent staffer opted to stay with Washington, preferring his place coaching Daniels. It is difficult to say Kingsbury’s stock has dropped too far. The Titans are interested in meeting with him to discuss their HC position; an interview request is expected. Kingsbury, 46, will now be free to meet about that job in-person at any time. The Giants have also expressed interest, likely giving a dismissed coordinator at least two HC interview opportunities.
While Matt Nagy resides as a likely frontrunner to reunite with Mike Borgonzi in Tennessee, Kingsbury also brings second-chance HC appeal as a coach who has helped two quarterbacks to Pro Bowls. Although Kyler Murray struggled in 2022, Kingsbury guiding the Cardinals’ dual-threat option to first-ballot Pro Bowls in 2020 and ’21 has aged well given the passer’s mid-2020s standing. Daniels gliding to Rookie of the Year honors on Kingsbury’s watch also bolsters the coach’s prospects to land on his feet — especially on a market thin on offensive-minded HC candidates.
It certainly should not be considered a lock Kingsbury receives another HC opportunity during this cycle, but with six vacancies and limited options for OC types, he could be the ultra-rare coordinator to be let go and land a top coaching job.
Kingsbury does have a history of unusual coaching transitions. Texas Tech fired him after the 2018 season, leading him to USC as the planned Trojans OC. But the Cardinals instead hired the ex-Patrick Mahomes college mentor as their head coach. Kingsbury went 28-37-1 in four Arizona seasons, guiding the team to the playoffs in 2021 but finishing 4-13 in 2022.
That led the Cards to fire him despite authorizing an extension months earlier. Kingsbury coached QBs at USC in 2023, allowing him to tutor Caleb Williams that season. Kingsbury then came close to a Raiders OC agreement in 2024, but after Las Vegas only offered a two-year deal, Washington’s three-year offer convinced him to back out of negotiations with the AFC West team.
Washington should see no shortage of interested candidates for its OC position, and after a 5-12 showing, Quinn needs to tab a quality option. The Commanders’ largely Daniels-less season brought a 27th-place finish in scoring and last-place ranking in yardage. The season also featured Terry McLaurin missing extensive time. Washington’s 2025 rankings figure to ding Kingsbury, but his previous work will certainly appeal to teams.
Cowboys Fire DC Matt Eberflus
The Cowboys will once again have a new defensive coordinator next season. Matt Eberflus has been fired after one year in that role for Dallas, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news is now official, per a team announcement.
For much of the campaign, struggles on defense proved to be a major detriment to the Cowboys. As that trend continued late in the season, support for Eberflus emanating from owner Jerry Jones seemed to wane. Today’s news thus comes as little surprise, although it comes earlier than expected.
Eberflus lasted less than three seasons during his first head coaching gig, with his Bears tenure ending in November last season. His background as a coordinator led to DC interest in general and ties to the Cowboys in particular. From 2011-17, Eberflus served as Dallas’ linebackers coach. He returned to his former team with the intent of improving a unit which struggled last season under Mike Zimmer.
Things did not go according to plan, to say the least. Under Eberflus, the Cowboys finished last in the NFL in scoring defense and 30th in yards allowed. Struggles in the secondary were a consistent theme all year, with many players having trouble adapting to his zone-heavy scheme. Improving at the cornerback and safety spots will no doubt be an offseason priority regardless of who replaces Eberflus.
Dan Quinn enjoyed a strong three-year run as Dallas’ defensive coordinator before taking his second career head coaching gig. His departure to Washington led to Zimmer’s return to the Cowboys in a familiar D-coordinator role. As expected, the decision to part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy last winter also resulted in Zimmer being replaced. That led to Eberflus’ arrival, but the Cowboys now find themselves in need of a fourth different DC in as many years.
Brian Flores was recently named as a Dallas target for the defensive coordinator position. He has thrived in that role with the Vikings for the past three years, a stretch which has helped his stock and is expected to lead to widespread interest around the league. Flores does not have a contract for next season, but discussions have taken place with Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if the 44-year-old demonstrates a willingness to take charge of the Cowboys’ defense as he weighs his options.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, it is currently unclear if any other changes will be made on Dallas’ defensive staff. Further departures would come as little surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2025 but also the trend of new coordinator arrivals bringing in outside assistants.
Lions Fire OC John Morton
Weeks after Dan Campbell took over Lions play-calling duties, the team will search for a new offensive coordinator. John Morton is out as OC after one season in the role, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. The Lions have since announced the move.
This was rumored to be the direction the Lions were heading, and it certainly makes sense given the abrupt removal of Morton’s chief responsibility. The firing also comes after the Lions went through a curiously thin search to replace Ben Johnson.
Neither Lions coordinator search was thorough. Campbell promoted Kelvin Sheppard to DC and added Morton from the Broncos, who had him in place as their pass-game coordinator. The Lions only satisfied the Rooney Rule during their OC search, with Campbell clearly having Morton in mind after losing Johnson to the Bears. It would surprise if the team replicated that narrow search this time around.
Morton, 56, had worked as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit during the 2022 season. This dismissal marks Morton’s second one-and-done in an NFL OC role. The Jets moved on after the 2017 season. Morton had the misfortune of leading the Jets’ offense during what turned out to be a gap year, when the team let Ryan Fitzpatrick walk in free agency and signed Josh McCown as a stopgap starter. Morton’s setup, however, was much better in Detroit. The offense took a step back after Johnson departed for Chicago.
The Lions still ranked fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage, but Campbell yanked Morton’s play sheet prior to Week 10. The move reminded of Campbell’s impatience with Anthony Lynn, the Lions’ OC during Campbell’s first year as HC. Campbell demoted Lynn, taking the play sheet, before the parties separated after the 2021 season. This brought Johnson to the forefront, and he excelled in the OC role for three seasons. Johnson drew significant HC interest in 2023 and ’24 but backed out of the running in both years. This gave Campbell some time to determine a replacement, but his first choice backfired.
While the Lions deserve criticism for not conducting much of a search to replace Johnson, continuity concerns motivated the decisions. Morton had been with the Lions three years ago and interviewed for the OC job Lynn landed a year prior. Following Morton’s Jets firing, he was on Jon Gruden‘s Raiders staff (as a senior assistant) for three years. The Broncos appointed him as their PGC in 2023. That season brought a Russell Wilson turnaround, and while Sean Payton has received most of the credit for that and Bo Nix‘s impressive career start, Morton parlayed Nix’s rookie season into an OC opportunity.
When Campbell took the call sheet, the Lions ranked 12th in yards per game. The second half brought an improvement, as Morton faded into the background. The Lions enjoyed good health at the skill positions, but Morton struggled to keep Jameson Williams involved in the offense. Detroit ran into some injury trouble along its offensive line, but the Jared Goff-piloted offense still stayed in the top five following Johnson’s departure.
The Lions have Goff, Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery and Penei Sewell signed long term. Jahmyr Gibbs is an extension candidate as well, creating obvious appeal for this job. Morton has spent a few years away at the college level, but he began his NFL coaching tenure in 1998. He has been a two-time Gruden staffer and three-time Payton assistant. A drop south of the coordinator level appears a near-certainty after this quick firing.
Commanders Fire DC Joe Whitt
The Commanders will have a pair of new coordinators in 2026. The team has parted ways with OC Kliff Kingsbury, but DC Joe Whitt is also on the way out. 
Whitt has been fired, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move comes as little surprise on that front, given the way things played out in 2025 on defense for the Commanders. Head coach Dan Quinn remains in place, but he will have at least two new assistants to hire over the coming weeks.
In 2024, Whitt contemplated staying with the Cowboys but ultimately followed Quinn from Dallas to the nation’s capital. That decision included play-calling duties for their first season together in Washington. In the midst of the team’s struggles on that front in 2025, however, Quinn stripped Whitt of those responsibilities. The expectation of a coordinator change has grown since then.
Indeed, a report from late December indicated Whitt was likely to be on the way out following the campaign. That has no proven to be the case. Quinn and the Commanders will now seek out a new play-caller on offense. Whether or not he retains that role on defense will likely depend on who winds up serving as Whitt’s replacement.
The Commanders posted middling numbers in both scoring and total defense in 2024. The team’s surprise run to the NFC title game was fueled in large part unexpected success on offense during Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season. While the second-year quarterback and other key offensive figures battled injuries this season, Washington’s defense was unable to compensate. The unit finished dead last in yards allowed and 27th in scoring.
Given that poor showing, it will be interesting to see if Whitt receives interest on the coordinator market. The 47-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, holding a number of roles during spells with the Falcons, Packers, Browns and Cowboys prior to his Commanders hire. Whitt has extensive experience coaching defensive backs and as a defensive pass-game coordinator, and another opportunity on that front could await him this offseason.
Earlier today, the Cowboys made the expected move of dismissing Matt Eberflus. The Whitt firing has added further to the list of D-coordinator openings around the league. More will no doubt emerge over the coming days. In any event, the Commanders will be busy during the 2026 hiring cycle as it pertains to restocking Quinn’s coaching staff.
Browns Fire HC Kevin Stefanski
The Browns are among the teams which will be seeking a new head coach over the coming weeks. Kevin Stefanski‘s tenure in Cleveland is coming to an end. 
Stefanski has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Signs were pointing in this direction leading up to the end of the regular season yesterday. General manager Andrew Berry is safe, and Schefter notes he will lead the search for a replacement head coach.
[RELATED: Jim Schwartz Likely To Be Replacement Candidate]
Over the course of a lengthy tenure in Minnesota, Stefanski generated a strong reputation as one of the league’s top offensive minds. His 2020 hire marked the first head coaching opportunity at the college or NFL levels of his career. The 43-year-old went on to win the Coach of the Year award twice during his tenure in Cleveland. That span also included a record of just 7-26 over the past two years, however.
The struggles endured since the beginning of the 2024 season are identified in a team statement as part of the reason why the Browns have elected to move on in this case. After reaching the playoffs in 2023 – Cleveland’s second 11-win season under Stefanski – things have not gone according to plan, and quarterback uncertainty persists at this point. Finding a long-term answer under center will be a priority along with the search for a new head coach.
Stefanski, meanwhile, will contemplate his next move. A strong market could exist in his case based on his track record under stable QB situations and the lack of high-profile offensive coaches in the 2026 pool of candidates. Stefanski has been mentioned on multiple occasions as a logical fit with the Giants. As other vacancies open up around the league, it will be interesting to see how Stefanski fits into the overall coaching landscape this winter.
Cleveland will have stability at the GM spot moving forward with Berry remaining in place. Strong showings from multiple members of the Browns’ rookie class no doubt helped his job security. Nevertheless, today’s news comes after Paul DePodesta departed the organization to join Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies. Berry will be tasked with overseeing a notably different setup for the franchise once the second HC of his tenure is in place.
A report from last week tied the Browns to interest in Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins have yet to make a final decision on their head coach, although he is currently believed to be safe. In the event that changes, though, connections between Cleveland and McDaniel will be worth watching for.
The Giants and Titans made in-season HC firings. In the immediate aftermath of Week 18, the Falcons moved on from Raheem Morris as well general manager Terry Fontenot. With Stefanski now out, there are four head coaching vacancies and counting across the NFL.
Raiders Fire HC Pete Carroll
As expected, the Raiders will have a new head coach in place next season. Vegas has fired Pete Carroll, per a team announcement.
Over the course of the 2025 season, it became increasingly clear Carroll’s NFL return would prove to be a one-and-done venture with respect to the Raiders. The Super Bowl winner fired a pair of coordinators in season, including the highly-compensated Chip Kelly at OC. Tension between Carroll and Kelly contributed to a highly underwhelming output on offense, something which did not tangibly improve after their split.
[RELATED: Brian Flores, Brian Daboll On Raiders’ Radar?]
Vegas won on Sunday against a Chiefs team which also had nothing to play for. That result ended a 10-game losing streak for the Raiders, but the Giants’ loss earlier in the day ensured Vegas will own the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. Selecting a quarterback first overall will no doubt become the expectation over the coming months, but before then a new head coach will need to be hired.
2025 saw general manager John Spytek brought in as part of the sweeping changes made by Vegas. He will play a leading role in the search for Carroll’s replacement. The statement issued by owner Mark Davis confirms to no surprise, though, that Tom Brady will work “in close collaboration” with Spytek on all matters of football operations. That includes the second HC search the pair will oversee.
Since moving to Vegas, the Raiders have been defined in large part by instability on the sidelines and in the front office. Jon Gruden‘s resignation has been followed by unsuccessful outside hires (Josh McDaniels, Carroll) and brief interim stints (Rich Bisaccia, Antonio Pierce) in between. Davis elected to give Pierce the full-time gig for 2024, a decision which did not pan out as hoped. Carroll represented a highly decorated replacement, but a win-now approach which included the trade acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith failed to produce the desired results. By late December, a large expectation existed that Carroll’s Vegas tenure would prove to be only one season in length.
Carroll was the oldest hire in NFL history when he joined the Raiders last winter. Now 74, his future on the sidelines will naturally be in doubt. A strong market is unlikely to exist in this case given Carroll’s relatively underwhelming end to his Seahawks tenure and his 3-14 campaign upon returning to the sidelines following a one-year absence. Carroll expressed a desire to remain with the Raiders for next season, but with that no longer an option it will be interesting to see if his coaching career will continue.
Numerous hires on the sidelines will be coming soon for the Raiders given the changes made during the campaign. Vegas joins Cleveland, Atlanta, Tennessee and the Giants as a team in need of a new head coach. The search process for Carroll’s replacement is set to begin immediately.
Cardinals Fire HC Jonathan Gannon
Rumblings leading up to Week 18 pointed to Jonathan Gannon being safe, but the Cardinals’ woeful season will result in a major change. Gannon is out, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official.
The Cardinals are retaining GM Monti Ossenfort, as expected. He will lead the search for Gannon’s replacement. Arizona hired Gannon and Ossenfort together in 2023, but the franchise has a history of giving its GMs much longer leashes. The Cardinals retained both Steve Keim and Rod Graves for 10 years apiece in that role, and Ossenfort will see a fourth.
Reports of Gannon being squarely in play to stay may not have been too far off-base; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the Cardinals showing more fight down the stretch could have saved the HC’s job. As a defensive coach, however, Gannon presided over a decline on that side of the ball. The Cardinals’ 3-14 season also included nine straight losses to close the show.
Allowing a coach to return after three non-playoff seasons is rare enough in the modern NFL, but doing so after separate seasons of fewer than five wins is nearly unheard of. The Cards went 4-13 in the first Gannon-Ossenfort year, and after an 8-9 2024 season, they slunk to 3-14 in a formidable NFC West. While Ossenfort will have a chance to bounce back, the Cardinals have plenty of questions to answer in Year 4 of the GM’s rebuild effort.
The NFL handed the Cardinals a tampering penalty — via a drop in the 2023 draft — for impermissible Gannon contact during that interview process, but he was coming off a two-year run as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. While the Eagles struggled mightily in Super Bowl LVII, Gannon had a deal in place with the Cardinals and headed west immediately following that close loss. Arizona’s defense made strides under Gannon and Nick Rallis in 2024, rising to 12th in points allowed and 15th in yardage. This season, however, brought a steep drop. The Cards finished 23rd in scoring and 29th in yardage, sealing Gannon’s fate.
Arizona committed more resources to its defense after fielding a skeleton crew in the wake of J.J. Watt, Zach Allen and Byron Murphy‘s 2023 departures. The Cardinals gave Josh Sweat a big-ticket deal in free agency and used first-round picks on defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson to go with multiple second-round picks on cornerbacks over the past two years. The team also added Dalvin Tomlinson and brought back Calais Campbell this past offseason. The end result, even with some solid individual efforts, was not good enough.
While Michael Bidwill gave Kliff Kingsbury four seasons (No. 4 coming after an extension), Gannon is out without the opportunity to oversee a quarterback his regime identified. Gannon and Ossenfort had consistently sung praises for Kingsbury-Keim-era QB Kyler Murray — until this year. Murray’s early-season foot injury did not produce a return, as the Cardinals effectively parked the former Pro Bowler on IR and allowed Jacoby Brissett to finish out the year. The team is widely expected to move on from its seven-year starter — by trade or release — rather than see a chunk of his 2027 salary become guaranteed.
A spree of close losses dropped the Cardinals out of contention this season, but Gannon’s defense caved in as the year progressed. The team allowed at least 37 points in four its final five games and six times total during the nine-game season-closing skid. Arizona lost six games by at least three scores during this seminal stretch, one that will lead Ossenfort and Bidwill to the drawing board.
The Cardinals did allow the 42-year-old coach the chance to inform the team he had been fired, per ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, but it will be difficult to envision him landing on this year’s HC carousel after his showing in the desert. A host of defensive coordinators will be up for HC jobs as the 2026 carousel starts, and Gannon may be a candidate to replace one of them. Two seasons remain on Gannon’s five-year contract, introducing the scenario in which Bidwill pays three HCs. That was viewed as a potential impediment, but the owner will follow through and replace Gannon anyway.
Replacing Murray will be tops on Ossenfort’s to-do list. He and Gannon inherited the former No. 1 overall pick shortly after he had suffered an ACL tear. Murray showed signs of his former self in 2024, ranking ninth in QBR and starting 17 games for the first time in his career. Never quite meshing with OC Drew Petzing, Murray is far removed from his Pro Bowl seasons (2020, 2021). He played just five games in his age-28 season.
The Giants gave Brian Daboll a chance to identify his own QB (Jaxson Dart), but he was largely fired after being saddled with a prior regime’s investment (Daniel Jones). Gannon did not get that far. He now joins Daboll, Brian Callahan, Pete Carroll and Kevin Stefanski on this year’s HC chopping block.
Falcons Fire HC Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot
The first firing announcement comes out of Atlanta, where, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, head coach Raheem Morris has officially been fired. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports quickly followed up the coaching announcement with a report that general manager Terry Fontenot has also been removed from his position. 
In a statement, team owner Arthur Blank gave an explanation of today’s transactions.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons,” he began. “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.”
Additionally, the team’s statement mentioned that they would use two different search firms to help fill the two jobs. ZRG Partners will assist Atlanta on their head coach search while Sportsology Group will assist with the search for a new general manager. Sportsology was already being utilized to perform a full assessment of the team’s football operations. It seems their evaluation was valued, as it led to Fontenot’s dismissal and further work to assist with the job to replace him. No timelines were proposed for the searches, but both will begin immediately and run concurrently.
Blank seems to be growing short of patience as time goes on. Before Morris, Mike Smith held the head coaching job for seven seasons. Dan Quinn only lasted six after that, Arthur Smith three, and Morris just two. The team’s quick response to act all comes naturally at this point as the organization will undergo it’s fourth head coaching search in seven years. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports that, behind the scenes, discussions on resetting the team’s structure have been going on for weeks now.
Voices around the league seemed to be pointing toward a departure from Fontenot, but sources also believed that Morris was likely to be retained in his position. A longtime assistant with the Falcons, Morris spent six years as assistant head coach while coaching various position groups before getting promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020. He stepped up into the interim head coaching job when Quinn was fired and went 4-7 in his first time back in the captain’s chair since his time with the Buccaneers back in 2011.
The Falcons did not choose Morris to take over the full-time head coaching gig, instead hiring Arthur Smith to the job. Morris returned to Atlanta after three years as defensive coordinator for the Rams, replacing Smith when he was fired after three straight 7-10 seasons. In his two years back at the helm, Morris improved on Smith’s streak, if only barely, recording two 8-9 campaigns, the first resulting in a second-place division finish and the second resulting in a three-way tie that ended with a third-place finish in the NFC South.
In order to force the three-way tie, the Falcons had to win their last four games, an impressive close to the season. These marked the Falcons’ only two eight-win seasons during their eight-year playoff drought, but this one enough to save Morris’ job.
Multiple players, including wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson, were vocal in support of Morris before his dismissal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Robinson specifically said he was “going to support Raheem no matter what” but that it’s “Arthur Blank’s decision” (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic). There’s plenty of room for criticism of the move as a bit early. Several coaches with worse results have been given longer leashes in NFL history, and Morris’ short leash came with handicaps from questionable draft and free agency decisions by Fontenot that left him with awkward quarterback situations.
Many are pointing to Fontenot’s failure to solve the team’s quarterback issues as the cause for his departure. With Fontenot as GM in Atlanta for five seasons, the Falcons went 36-48 during his tenure. Despite the clear signs that former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan was in the twilight years of his career, Fontenot failed to address the position in his first draft. The only player from that first draft class to really impact the team was first-round tight end Kyle Pitts, who still delivered a few disappointing seasons over his rookie deal. The Falcons then traded Ryan to Indianapolis and drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round of 2022’s draft, which also yielded them London and running back Tyler Allgeier. 
After Ridder failed to establish himself as a starter, as the Falcons had stood down rather than add an outside option in 2023, Fontenot and the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a huge four-year, $180MM deal with the understanding that they would not draft a first-round quarterback to stash behind him. About six weeks later, Fontenot and the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round to stash behind Cousins without notifying Cousins or his representation that they would be doing so.
Morris and the coaching staff were believed to have played a role in the QB double-up, becoming impressed with the left-handed QB. The Falcons spent two years shuffling a sometimes-injured, struggling Cousins with a sometimes-injured, struggling Penix, putting them in the situation they now find themselves.
The Morris hire came as Fontenot and CEO Rich McKay were believed to have played roles in swaying Blank away from hiring Bill Belichick. Neither were believed to have wanted to work with the former Super Bowl-winning HC. Politics partially played a part in the Falcons moving to Morris, who worked under McKay in Tampa. Morris was well-liked in the building stemming from his first go-round in Atlanta, but his HC stint ended up not even lasting as long as his Bucs stay. Following the Morris hire, Fontenot secured more organizational power as McKay stepped back from day-to-day operations.
Fontenot’s drafting seemed to show some improvements, especially with some successful defensive picks this past year, but it was mostly first- and second-rounders making an impact from each class. Regardless, through Fontenot’s five seasons, the Falcons failed to see a single winning campaign, let alone a trip to the playoffs. The two won their final game with the team, were seen celebrating in the locker room with the players, then were called to meet with Blank a couple hours later to be delivered the bad news, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
There’s obviously no news to report so soon after the dismissals of the two team leaders, but The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman sees Morris having potential looks at defensive coordinator jobs in the offseason. Anderson reports that Ryan, the team’s former franchise quarterback, has been an “active” voice in the building already, with some starting to link his name to the now open general manager position.
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.