Falcons Request OC Interview With LSU’s Cortez Hankton
As Raheem Morris looks to fill out his staff in Atlanta, he’s eyeing the college ranks for one of his top assistants. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Falcons have requested an interview with LSU co-offensive coordinator Cortez Hankton for their offensive coordinator job.
[RELATED: 2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
Following a nine-year NFL career, Hankton joined Dartmouth’s coaching staff as their WRs coach in 2012. He’s held that role throughout his coaching career, including stints at Vanderbilt and Georgia. He took on the pass game coordinator role with the Bulldogs in 2019 and won a championship during his final year at the school.
He moved to LSU as their pass game coordinator/WRs coach in 2022. After offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock left for Notre Dame after this past season, Hankton was named co-offensive coordinator alongside quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan for the 2024 campaign. He most recently worked with wideouts Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, two potential first-round picks in this upcoming draft.
Hankton is the first known candidate for the Falcons offensive coordinator job. Morris has already reached out to Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde about the Falcons defensive coordinator job, and the team is set to retain special teams coordinator Marquice Williams (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).
Falcons Hire Raheem Morris As HC
The only team to interview Bill Belichick this month, the Falcons are heading in a different direction. The team is closing in on hiring Raheem Morris as its next head coach, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports the Falcons plan to make the hire.
This comes after CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported the Rams’ defensive coordinator impressed during his second interview this week. Morris had a Seahawks interview scheduled; this Falcons hire will nix that. Morris spent six seasons in Atlanta prior to moving to Los Angeles, finishing that Falcons tenure as interim HC replacing Dan Quinn. The Rams will pick up third-round picks in 2024 and 2025 for seeing a minority assistant hired as a head coach.
[RELATED: Latest On Falcons’ Leadership Structure]
While Belichick overshadowed this search, the Falcons conducted a wide-ranging process to replace Arthur Smith. The team met with Mike Vrabel on Wednesday and conducted second interviews with Panthers DC Ejiro Evero and Texans OC Bobby Slowik. The Falcons also met with Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Anthony Weaver and Mike Macdonald virtually, but due to the Lions and Ravens staffers being tied to teams in the conference championship round, Atlanta could not meet in-person with those candidates this week. The NFC South franchise will move forward with Morris.
The Belichick piece is obviously significant here, as this represented the longtime Patriots leader’s most likely landing spot, but this also provides a true second chance for Morris. Now 47, Morris was hired as Buccaneers HC back in 2009 at just 32. Morris lasted three years as Tampa Bay’s HC but did not prove ready for the job. (Although the 2010 Bucs won 10 games, Morris went 17-31 in Tampa.) After leaving the Falcons on good terms for L.A. in 2021, Morris collected a Super Bowl ring. Sean McVay and Rams brass offered endless praise for Morris, who will become the latest in a line of Rams staffers to land promotions elsewhere.
Another Rams piece lingers here, too. Zac Robinson, McVay’s QBs coach, has emerged as a lead candidate to follow Morris and become the Falcons’ next OC, Jones reports. This would be interesting due to the volume of interview requests in Robinson’s inbox. Robinson has interviewed with the Patriots, Saints and Bears and received requests to meet with the Steelers and Raiders. After the Bengals took Dan Pitcher off the board Wednesday, Robinson following Morris to Georgia would further deplete the OC candidate pool.
Arthur Blank targeted Belichick early, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, but some internal persuasion looks to have swayed the owner. While Belichick’s accomplishments lap every other candidate in this year’s cycle, Morris also checks the experience box Blank sought — now becoming the first retread HC hire in the owner’s 22-year run — due to his Tampa Bay tenure and 2020 stay as the Atlanta interim boss. SI.com’s Albert Breer indicated this week the non-Blank sect of Falcons brass may not have been as interested in Belichick, and it is worth wondering if the prospect of the six-time Super Bowl champion HC shaking up Atlanta’s power structure played a role in the organization passing.
Belichick, 71, is five years older than anyone ever hired to be a full-time NFL head coach. The Bucs’ 2019 Bruce Arians hire still leads the way here, and this offseason would represent one of the most interesting carousels in league history if it leaves Belichick without a chair. Reports last week pegged Belichick — the first coach to meet with the Falcons twice — as the clear favorite, to the point he had the right of first refusal and was in a way interviewing the Falcons about a fit. As the days passed since Belichick’s Atlanta meeting, it started to look like Belichick was losing ground. The Falcons ended up meeting with 14 candidates.
Throughout Belichick’s Patriots tenure, he held personnel power. The Falcons had Blank and CEO Rich McKay running this search, but the team still has GM Terry Fontenot in place. Fontenot arrived as Morris exited in 2021; the two are now set to work together. The prospect of Belichick ultimately answering to McKay could have also been a red flag for the legendary HC, and Fontenot’s role would likely have been impacted by a Belichick hire. The Falcons also passing on Belichick bringing back a host of ex-Patriot staffers, including the likes of Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, also could have served as a dealbreaker for the team.
After Morris and Dave Canales (Panthers) agreed to terms in the NFC South today, only two teams — the Commanders and Seahawks — are looking for HCs. Neither have met with Belichick, and neither is believed to be interested. Rumblings about teams with HC vacancies being open to Belichick have surfaced, but unless a team were to fire its coach and create a late vacancy, it is looking like the 2024 season will be the first without Belichick in a head coaching role since 1999.
Belichick has been either a head coach or an assistant in the NFL each year since 1975. Beginning with his native Baltimore Colts, Belichick initially landed on the HC radar after winning two Super Bowls as Giants defensive coordinator. A Browns partnership in the early ’90s did not produce consistent success, but after Belichick teamed again with Bill Parcells with the Patriots and Jets later in the decade, Robert Kraft brought him back as head coach. That union (with a heavy assist from Tom Brady) produced one of the great HC runs in sports history, but the Pats have moved on after a 4-13 season, hiring heir apparent Jerod Mayo.
Will Belichick — 14 wins shy of Don Shula‘s all-time record — be willing to take an assistant job somewhere to continue his career? Belichick made a public comment indicating a willingness to relinquish authority in New England, but it worth wondering if other teams were leery about giving him the keys after recent struggles on the GM front in Foxborough. This Morris hire represents good news for Fontenot, who was tasked with a rebuild upon being hired in 2021. He appears set to continue that work with a second head coach.
The Falcons gave Morris the interim job in October 2020; he went 4-7 in that span, finishing off a 4-12 season for the team. Atlanta has since finished 7-10 in each of the past three seasons, with ugly late-season losses ending Smith’s run. In Morris, the Falcons have a familiar face who was part of Quinn’s Super Bowl LI staff. Morris also showed versatility during his first Atlanta stint, being the rare coach to work on both sides of the ball for the same franchise. The Falcons employed Morris as their wide receivers coach from 2016-19, shifting him to defensive coordinator in 2020.
Morris replaced Brandon Staley as Rams DC and served as the top defensive voice in the building for a Super Bowl champion. Riding an Aaron Donald–Von Miller–Jalen Ramsey veteran nucleus, Morris helped that defense crest at the right time. That said, the Rams ranked first in scoring and total defense under Staley in 2020; they never placed higher than 15th in either category under Morris. But the latter also displayed his coaching acumen this year, seeing several Super Bowl pieces stripped from the roster. The Rams still found their way back to the playoffs, with third-rounders Kobie Turner and Byron Young providing vital Donald support during what was initially labeled a rebuilding season.
It is still interesting the Falcons hired a Quinn staffer to be their next HC, and the Morris move also marks new territory in modern NFL history. Although 12 teams have elevated interim HCs to the full-time post in the 21st century, this is the only post-2000 occurrence of a team bringing back its interim leader after he subsequently coached elsewhere.
Morris will be tasked with leading a team Fontenot has indeed upgraded but one that appears in need at quarterback. The Falcons are expected to pursue an upgrade on Desmond Ridder, and Morris will be expected to use his defensive background to enhance that unit’s capabilities as well. The Falcons have not made the playoffs since 2017; they will bet on Morris over Belichick to become a better long-term leader.
Latest On Falcons’ Leadership Structure
The Falcons turned a lot of heads when they made the decision to give Raheem Morris his first official head coaching gig in 13 years instead of hiring Bill Belichick, who many see as one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history. A report from Dan Graziano details a situation that saw a difference of opinion on how the team’s executive structure should be shaped.
According to Graziano, multiple sources have been saying for weeks that team owner Arthur Blank came into the hiring process wanting Belichick. Unfortunately for Blank, Falcons chief executive officer Rich McKay has a hand in the day-to-day operations of the team and has a say, as well. Apparently, that role concerned Belichick, who inquired about McKay’s impact should he be hired. Belichick seemed to want structural power, similar to what he had in New England.
In the eyes of the organization, Belichick “was seen as a short-term play.” He’s got plenty of rings and is only 15 wins away from passing legendary coach Don Shula for the all-time record of most wins by a head coach. In order to grant Belichick the powers he sought within the organization, extensive overhauling would be required in the leadership structure; overhauling that would then need to be done a second time upon Belichick’s departure in the near future. In the end, it just made more sense to keep the broad structure in place and hire a coach with a greater aspiration for continuing to coach well into the future.
Additionally, though, the team made the call to ultimately move McKay away from the day-to-day operations of the team. According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while McKay will remain CEO of Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) and will continue “to represent the team on league matters and the NFL’s Competition Committee,” McKay will focus more on soccer, away from football operations. Instead, Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot will report directly to Blank.
Commanders Scheduling Second HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Raheem Morris
TUESDAY, 7:40pm: Another candidate has earned a second interview with the Commanders, as ESPN’s John Keim reports that Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver is expected to meet again with the organization.
Weaver is also in consideration for the Falcons head coaching job, where he also earned a second interview. Weaver has spent the past three seasons in Baltimore, including the past two as the DL coach/associate head coach.
MONDAY, 5:55pm: The Commanders are lining up second interviews with head coach candidates. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders are expected to host Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on an in-person interview. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is scheduling a second interview with the Commanders.
Following the Cowboys’ disappointing playoff loss, it didn’t take long for Quinn to hit the interview trail. He met with the Commanders last week, and he’s already earned second interviews with the Titans and Seahawks.
Following a third-straight standout year by the Cowboys defense, Quinn is once again a popular name on the head coaching market. The veteran coach reportedly rejected previous HC opportunities in order to stick with Dallas, but it sounds like he’s more open to moving on in 2024. The former Falcons head coach has also been connected to the Panthers and Chargers jobs.
Morris is also a popular HC candidate this offseason. We previously heard that Morris earned second interviews with the Panthers and Seahawks, and in addition to the Commanders, Schefter notes that the coordinator is also expected to take a second interview with the Falcons.
Morris has served as the Rams defensive coordinator since 2021. He served as Atlanta’s interim head coach in 2020 following the firing of (who else) Dan Quinn. Morris’s stint in Atlanta spanned six years, and he had a previous three-year stint as the head coach in Tampa Bay.
In addition to Quinn and Morris, the list of Commanders head coach candidates includes:
Washington Commanders
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/20
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): Mentioned as candidate
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/19; top target?
- Mike Macdonald, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator (Texans): To interview 1/21
- Anthony Weaver, defensive line coach (Ravens): Interviewed 1/11
Panthers To Hold Second HC Interviews With Dave Canales, Raheem Morris
Carolina’s search for a new head coach continues, and the list of finalists is growing. In addition to an incumbent option in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, numerous outside candidates are now on the team’s radar. 
Carolina is set to interview Buccaneers OC Dave Canales for a second time, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Likewise, the team remains interested in Raheem Morris. The Rams DC is lining up several second interviews, including one with the Panthers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.
Canales’ only interview to date has come with the Panthers, a team in need of a coach capable of developing quarterback Bryce Young. The 2022 first overall pick struggled as a rookie, though the same was true as a whole for Carolina’s offense. Canales showed an ability to work well with Geno Smith during his time as Seattle’s QBs coach, and that landed him Tampa Bay’s OC position last offseason.
The Buccaneers’ offensive expectations were muted heading into the campaign with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Indeed, Tampa finished only 20th in scoring and 23rd in total offense in Mayfield’s debut season with the team. However, he performed better down the stretch and delivered signficant statistical showings in both of the team’s playoff games. That could land Canales an extended look for his first career head coaching gig.
The Panthers are believed to prefer a coach with a background on the offensive side of the ball, but that does not apply to Morris. The veteran staffer does, however, have head coaching experience dating back to his time with the Buccaneers and (on an interim basis) Falcons. The 47-year-old has received a number of looks during the 2024 hiring cycle, including an interview with Atlanta.
Morris is believed to have departed the Falcons on good terms, meaning he could be a candidate to watch for Atlanta’s vacancy. He could have other options as well, though, including interest from the division-rival Panthers pending the outcome of their second meeting with one another. Staffers not still in the postseason are allowed to interview in person beginning today, so Carolina is one of many teams which could move toward a hire in the near future.
Here is an updated look at the Panthers’ search:
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Second interview on tap
- Dave Canales, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/18; to conduct second interview
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Interviewed 1/11; to conduct second interview 1/22
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Conducted interview 1/19; top target?
- Brian Johnson, offensive coordinator (Eagles): Interview requested; team no longer interested
- Mike Macdonald, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/11
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/11
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/17; to conduct second interview
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/17
- Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator (Texans): Interviewed 1/18
- Frank Smith, offensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/16
- Chris Tabor, interim head coach (Panthers): Interviewed 1/10
Seahawks Arranging Second HC Interviews With Five Candidates
Seattle’s first head coaching search since 2010 has seen a number of first interviews take place, and more are coming. A list of candidates set to receive a second look has emerged as well, however. 
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Seattle is arranging second interviews with five head coaching candidates: Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Rams DC Raheem Morris and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn. Pelissero adds, though, that the list is likely to grow in time.
Each of those staffers has met with the Seahawks once already. The latter in particular was immediately floated as a top option to replace Pete Carroll given his ties to the organization. Quinn served as Seattle’s defensive coordinator from 2013-14, having also spent a pair of seasons there (2009-10) as the team’s defensive line coach. He has enjoyed regular season success during his time with the Cowboys, and Dallas’ postseason letdown has not taken him out of serious consideration for at least the Seahawks’ gig.
Evero, Graham and Morris join Quinn in having a background on the defensive side of the ball. Evero, like many other staffers on the Panthers, entered the 2023 season with notable expectations given his success with the Broncos. While Carolina struggled mightily on offense, Evero’s unit held up well in certain categories and finished fourth in total defense. He has drawn interest from a number of teams as a result, including the Panthers.
Morris, like Quinn, has NFL head coaching experience. The former took over after the latter was fired by the Falcons, and he also spent three seasons in charge of the Buccaneers. Morris has rebuilt his stock to an extent during his run with the Rams’ defense. He has been connected to four openings other than Seattle’s so far.
Graham’s NFL coaching career dates back to 2009, and he has worked as a DC with the Dolphins, Giants and Raiders. Las Vegas experienced a dramatic defensive turnaround after Antonio Pierce was promoted to interim head coach, and with him now having been given the position on a full-time basis, Graham could very well be on the way out. The 44-year-old held the title of assistant head coach during his time in New York, but he has never led a staff at the college or NFL levels.
As the only staffer with a background on the offensive side of the ball, Kafka’s inclusion on the list is notable. He was reported to be in danger of losing his position during the 2023 season, one in which little went according to plan for the Giants. Kafka has survived, however, and he will remain in New York for 2024 unless his second straight year receiving HC interest lands him an opportunity elsewhere.
Today’s news does not include a first interview being arranged with former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. That is signficant given the connections made between he and the Seahawks in recent days. Vrabel has interviewed with the Falcons and Chargers, so the Seahawks could have competition for his services if they decide to meet with him. In-person interviews with coaches currently on NFL staffs cannot take place until after the divisional round is completed. Given that rule, and the volume of staffers reciving an extended look, Seattle’s search will likely continue for some time.
Coaching Notes: Vrabel, Seahawks, Quinn, Morris, Falcons, Staley, Browns, Giants, Izzo, Steelers, Rams
The Seahawks have not met with Mike Vrabel yet, but interest is believed to exist on the NFC West team’s part. More smoke has emerged connecting Vrabel to Seattle. Several sources indicated this is a match worth monitoring, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, while the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora has heard Vrabel and Dan Quinn are the two names to watch with regards to the Seattle HC job.
Vrabel and Seahawks GM John Schneider are believed to be close, La Canfora adds. With Pete Carroll out of the picture, Schneider — who operated in a right-hand man role as Carroll held final say — is running the show in Seattle. Vrabel sought full personnel control in Tennessee when the team was between GMs, but the organization did not grant it. A structure in which Schneider holds final say but Vrabel possesses more input than he held with the Titans could make sense, but Quinn’s four seasons — spread across two stints, the latter two as a Super Bowl-bound DC — obviously provide a strong connection. The Dallas DC was also the first candidate mentioned for this opening. Quinn has a busy week on tap; the Cowboys’ DC is interviewing virtually with the Panthers, Chargers, Seahawks, Titans and Commanders.
Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:
- Deviating from their Arthur Blank-era trend, the Falcons are believed to be eyeing a coach with experience. Raheem Morris represents an interesting choice, considering he was Atlanta’s interim HC in 2020, but La Canfora adds some around the league view this as a potential match. Sean McVay is advocating for his three-year DC, and a coaching agent informed La Canfora that Morris is believed to have left Atlanta the first time on good terms. Morris, who served as Buccaneers HC from 2009-11, was a Falcons staffer from 2015-20. Bill Belichick having a second interview booked does point to the ex-Patriots coach being the favorite here, however.
- Duce Staley paid a visit to the Browns this week, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The Browns just fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and are in need at that post. Staley did not make it into December during his first season as Panthers RBs coach, joining QBs coach Josh McCown in being fired. But Staley has been an NFL backfield coach — with the Eagles, Lions and Panthers — since 2013.
- The Browns are also interviewing Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, per veteran NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky. While incumbent D-line coach Ben Bloom is not believed to have been fired, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot confirms the Crow report, indicating Bloom could be reassigned. Crow was with Tennessee throughout Vrabel’s six-year tenure; Bloom has enjoyed two stints in Cleveland — 2009-10 and over the past four seasons under Kevin Stefanski.
- Seeking a replacement for six-year special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, the Giants are eyeing one of their Tom Coughlin-era assistants. Larry Izzo, the former Patriots linebacker who coached on Coughlin’s staff from 2011-15, is in the mix for the ST coordinator job, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Izzo spent the past three seasons as the Seahawks‘ ST boss, but with Carroll gone, the organization has given its assistants permission to explore other opportunities. Izzo broke into coaching in New York, serving as assistant ST coach before moving up the ladder elsewhere.
- The Rams are losing their defensive line coach to the college ranks. USC announced the hiring of Eric Henderson, who spent the past five seasons as the Rams’ D-line coach. Henderson’s Los Angeles run will continue; he started his NFL coaching stay with two seasons as the Chargers’ assistant D-line coach. Henderson, 40, will become the Trojans’ co-defensive coordinator.
- Steelers assistant Glenn Thomas will rejoin Matt Rhule, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman, who notes the former Baylor and Temple assistant will become co-OC at Nebraska. Thomas spent one season with the Steelers, coming to Pittsburgh after being Arizona State’s OC in 2022.
Seahawks Request HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Frank Smith, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris
Dan Quinn came up as the first known candidate to replace Pete Carroll in Seattle. The ex-Carroll lieutenant will indeed land on the Seahawks’ request list.
The Seahawks sent out a slip to the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Quinn, 53, enjoyed multiple stints in Seattle, the second of which coming when he spent both Super Bowl seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator in the 2010s. While Quinn’s Dallas defense disappointed Sunday, he is now likely to conduct HC interviews with at least five teams.
[RELATED: 2024 Head Coaching Search Tracker]
The former Falcons HC has been a popular name on the interview circuit for three years now. After Quinn bowed out of the 2023 interview process early, he appears set to stay on this year’s carousel longer. Quinn has been Dallas’ DC for three seasons, though it will be interesting to see how the organization handles the Mike McCarthy situation following the Packers’ runaway win.
Dolphins OC Frank Smith and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero have also received an interview request from the Seahawks, Pelissero adds. Smith has been Mike McDaniel‘s OC in Miami for the past two seasons. McDaniel and Smith’s offense fared miserably Saturday night in frigid Kansas City, but the team turned a corner under McDaniel. The Seahawks join the Panthers in showing interest in McDaniel’s right-hand man on offense.
Evero has been a coveted HC candidate despite spending his two DC years on bad teams. Evero’s defenses outshined the offenses in Denver last season and in Carolina recently, and he has now secured interview requests from the Falcons and Seahawks — in addition to his Panthers meeting.
This fast-moving process also includes Raheem Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has spent the past three seasons in the NFC West, working as the Rams’ DC. He joins Quinn in bringing HC experience to the table, having coached the Buccaneers for three seasons and having served as the Falcons’ interim coach following Quinn’s 2020 ouster. Morris spent six seasons on Quinn’s Atlanta staff, serving in myriad capacities.
A usual-suspects list thus far, the Seahawks are jumping onto the HC carousel a bit later. They reassigned Carroll to an undetermined role, in what amounts to a firing due to the 14-year HC making a case to keep his job, and it is unknown if the longtime leader, who is 72, will coach again. But longtime Carroll leadership partner John Schneider is steering the ship right now; the GM will be likely to explore a reunion with Quinn, who helmed the Seahawks to back-to-back first-place finishes in scoring defense from 2013-14. He parlayed that into a Falcons HC gig, which started to go south following the Super Bowl LI collapse. Quinn has rebuilt his stock in Dallas, though it will be interesting to see how Sunday’s shocking loss affects his chances of securing a second HC position. Quinn initially worked in Seattle from 2009-10, being hired by Jim Mora Jr. and then retained by Carroll as D-line coach.
Evero, 43, worked with Morris in 2021 while also working alongside OC Shane Waldron with the Rams in prior years. Waldron, however, is far from guaranteed to stay. The Seahawks have greenlit a Waldron Bears OC interview. As for Evero, he has garnered respect for his work to keep the 2022 Broncos in games — during their mess of a season under Nathaniel Hackett — and his Panthers defense ranked fourth in yards allowed. DVOA was less kind to Evero’s defense (25th), but eight teams over the past two years have sought HC interviews.
Miami’s offense ranked second in scoring and first in yardage, but the frontrunning label and the team’s struggles against quality opposition will be inescapable after the egg the team laid against the Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if Smith, 42, garners serious consideration in the wake of Miami’s inconsistent season. Morris, 47, is 21-38 as a head coach. But he was just 32 when he landed the Bucs’ top job in 2009. Morris is now best known for collecting a Super Bowl ring as the Rams’ DC. He did well to develop some Aaron Donald pass-rushing sidekicks this year, in third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner.
It should be expected Ravens DC Mike Macdonald will receive a request; the two-year Baltimore defensive boss joined Quinn in early rumors pertaining to the Seahawks’ HC gig. Teams are already interviewing candidates virtually, and Quinn has four Zoom meetings scheduled for this week. No in-person interviews can occur until the divisional round concludes, marking a delay from the NFL’s usual schedule.
Falcons Send Out Seven HC Interview Requests
11:35am: A seventh name can be added to the Falcons’ growing list of targets. Texans OC Bobby Slowik has received an interview request, per SI’s Albert Breer. Slowik followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco to Houston this offseason, and 2023 has marked his first stint as a coordinator. His and the team’s success has landed the 36-year-old on the HC radar this offseason. The Panthers and Commanders have also submitted interview requests for Slowik.
10:13am: The Falcons have been connected to two high-profile coaches in recent days, but the team has yet to line up any interviews with interested candidates. That is set to change soon, as Atlanta has now sent out six interview requests. 
[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]
The Falcons are looking to speak with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who adds Atlanta is also interested in Bengals OC Brian Callahan. In addition, Lions DC Aaron Glenn and Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver are on the list of request recipients, colleague Ian Rapoport tweets. 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has also received a request, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Lastly, Atlanta has requested an interview with Rams DC Raheem Morris, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Johnson, as expected, has been one of the most sought-after candidates so far. In his second season at the helm of Detroit’s offense, the Lions have remained among the league’s most efficient teams on that side of the ball. The 37-year-old has been in the Motor City since 2019 and a coordinator only since 2022, but his relative lack of experience did not stop him from generating interest during last year’s hiring cycle. An aggressive Johnson pursuit is expected from the Panthers, but he is also on the radar of the Chargers and Commanders.
Callahan has likewise been connected to a number of openings this season after receiving interest last year. The Bengals fell short of expectations this season, and the offense struggled in a number of categories. Despite going much of the year without Joe Burrow, though, Cincinnati still managed to go 9-8 while finishing 16th in the league in scoring. Notably, each of the other candidates listed for the Falcons’ vacancy have a background on the defensive side of the ball.
That includes Glenn, whose unit has not matched Johnson’s in terms of effectiveness. Nevertheless, the former has received interest from the Chargers, Titans and Commanders so far. Weaver has served as a position coach during his three-year Ravens tenure, but he has held a coordinator role in the past, doing so with the Texans in 2020. Mentioned less frequently than fellow Baltimore staffers Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald, Weaver has nonetheless received an interview request from the Commanders in addition to today’s summons.
Wilks and Morris both have interim head coaching experience. The former finished off the season with the Panthers last year after Matt Rhule was fired. Wilks received support from several Panthers players to be retained on a full-time basis, but the team instead went in a different direction. That led him to San Francisco, where he has guided the 49ers’ defense to top-10 finishes in both points and yards allowed en route to securing the NFC’s top seed.
Morris, meanwhile, is an interesting name given his Falcons connection. The 47-year-old joined Atlanta in 2020 as an assistant head coach, later taking on the DC title in 2020. Midway through that season, Dan Quinn was fired and Morris finished the campaign as interim head coach. He has not received another opportunity to lead a staff since then, but his three-year coordinator run with the Rams has been well received and it has put him back on the HC radar this offseason.
After making the unsurprising move of dismissing Arthur Smith, the Falcons have been connected to both Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick. Links to the latter have continued in the wake of his long-rumored spilt with the Patriots having been confirmed. No Harbaugh or Belichick interviews have been lined up to date, of course, but the team will now have meetings with a host of other options as the Falcons look to take a step forward in 2024 and beyond.
Chargers Request HC Interview With Rams DC Raheem Morris
Raheem Morris remains one of the top early candidates for a head coaching position in the 2024 hiring cycle. The Rams defensive coordinator has received an interview request from the Chargers, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Morris becomes the seventh coach to receive an interview request from Los Angeles, a team which has also been linked to high-profile options such as Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers’ vacancy is seen as one of the more attractive ones given the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert, something which could lend itself to a coach with an offensive background being targeted. So far, however, many of the candidates the team has shown an interest in are known for their work on the other side of the ball.
That applies to Morris, who has spent most of his NFL coaching career working with the defense in one capacity or another. The 47-year-old has been a head coach on two occasions: a three-year run with the Buccaneers from 2009-11, and an interim stint with the Falcons in 2020 after Dan Quinn‘s firing. Overall, his HC record sits at just 21-38, but his subsequent work as a positional coach and coordinator has rebuilt his value.
Morris spent three seasons in Washington as the team’s secondary coach before taking an assistant head coach posting in Atlanta. After closing out his final Falcons season as interim HC, he took the Rams’ defensive coordinator position. Los Angeles has put up middling numbers in term of yards and points allowed across the past three campaigns, a period which includes the franchise’s Super Bowl victory.
The Rams have managed to make an unexpected run to the postseason this year despite the loss of several veterans in the offseason (including cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Bobby Wagner and edge rusher Leonard Floyd). That success has led to interest in Morris on the part of the Panthers and Commanders, so the Chargers will have competition if they elect to aggressively pursue him. Morris will certainly be a key candidate to watch as the coaching landscape takes shape.