Heading into Black Monday—and perhaps its lesser-known but nearly-as-bleak counterpart, Ship Gray Sunday—many expected the Raiders to be the first team to announce a change at their head coaching position.
But the Falcons offered the first decision resembling a surprise on Sunday by dismissing head coach Raheem Morris mere hours after he logged his fourth consecutive win to close out the season at 8–9. And while Morris was considered safer than general manager Terry Fontenot going into the weekend, the fact that both were let go signals a clear change of direction for the franchise.
The team is having two different firms work to identify its next general manager and head coach, though the goal is absolute: to ultimately have a front office that can service and work with the coaching department more effectively. Fontenot struggled to supply the previous head coach, Arthur Smith, with players who fit his ideal scheme and left the team without an option at quarterback. Then, during the Morris era, the Falcons puzzlingly backstopped the signing of Kirk Cousins to a high-end contract with the selection of Michael Penix Jr., neither of whom seemed to find a comfortable landing spot on this iteration of the Falcons. The 2025 first round, which saw the Falcons nearly surrender a catastrophically high pick to the Rams, seemed to highlight a team that was some combination of desperate or just disjointed.
Out of all the teams that currently have openings or are projected to, the Falcons have the closest makeup to last year’s Jaguars. There’s an assemblage of talent that is undoubtedly special, though it lacks both the mortar to allow it to work together and a coaching staff that could effectively take the reins in a division that has yet again sent a sub-.500 team to the playoffs.
However, with Dave Canales spearheading a pretty remarkable turnaround in Carolina given where that franchise was three years ago, and Kellen Moore finishing within a few bounces of a seven-win season (and the likely the Offensive Rookie of the Year in Tyler Shough), the urgency to keep pace with a shifting landscape has presented itself right on the doorstep of Flowery Branch.
With that in mind, let’s get to a team-specific short list of candidates. I’m going to lean offense. I also would not be surprised to see a collegiate name surface in this search. You can also refer back to my longer list of future NFL head coaches from December for a wider look at this cycle’s candidate pool.
Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
Two years ago, the Falcons had two interviews with former Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, the second of which went deep into the afternoon. Slowik, like many from the Kyle Shanahan tree, is schooled in football on both sides of the ball, as anyone with a say in the Shanahan tree has to be. While Kubiak may need a bit of seasoning, he is without question the hottest play-caller on the market and offers the best hope at putting both Penix and Bijan Robinson in an offense that can generate consistent, dependable options. He is the next-in-line option from that tree that, perhaps, the Falcons have regrets not pulling from in the first place.
Kevin Stefanski, head coach, Cleveland Browns
With the Browns and Stefanski likely headed for a break, Stefanski should emerge as a top candidate for the Falcons. This just makes sense. Stefanski has had to deal with a cattle call of quarterbacks in Cleveland and should be able to retrofit his offense to suit Penix, even if that means getting him under center more often (something I think he can do really well, by the way). Atlanta needs an experienced offensive-minded coach who can attract other ascending play-callers and position coaches.
Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders
Kingsbury prefers an up-tempo-style offense that could work its way out of fashion with the Commanders but might be a godsend for Penix, who ran no-huddle at one of the lower percentages in the NFL this year. Getting this entire offense to play fast could accentuate the playmaking ability of its surrounding stars, such as Robinson and Drake London. It could also offer a stylistic advantage to the Falcons in the division.
Joe Brady, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills
Brady has interviewed for the Falcons’ head coaching job in the past and comes from a Sean Payton school that has had consistent success in developing quarterbacks. In Buffalo, Brady gets to work with Josh Allen but has designed around Allen a spread out, defend-every-blade type offense that gives Allen the space to be creative. Brady has been blessed to work with both Joe Burrow at LSU and Allen in Buffalo, but that shouldn’t disqualify him from a possible head coaching opportunity.
Klayton Adams, offensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys
While Adams may be a bit of an outside candidate, his bona fides in the run game are unquestioned. The 42-year-old comes from the offensive line side but has graduated into the coordinator of the NFL’s fifth best offense in terms of EPA per play. Arizona’s run game fell apart after Adams’s departure, and Dallas was able to post one of the league’s best rushing success rates in 2025 with a combination of Javonte Williams, Malik Davis and Miles Sanders.
Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers
Hafley cracks the list because of his previous head coaching experience at Boston College, which makes him a little less of a defensive-specific coach and more of a generalist with a defensive background. We saw from the one year with Jeff Ulbrich and his talented defensive coaches what is possible out of this group and if Hafley can come in with a reasonable plan at offensive coordinator, he would be worth consideration.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Seven Coaching Candidates for the Browns as They Once Again Look to Start Over
- Albert Breer’s 2025 NFL Playoffs Preview, and Why Each Team Can Win the Super Bowl
- Kevin Stefanski Releases Statement After Browns Firing
- Giants Make Decision on GM Joe Schoen At End of Season
- Bengals Announce Decision on Zac Taylor's Future Following 6–11 Season
This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Went Wrong With the Falcons and Raheem Morris, and Six Candidates to Replace Him.
