This was supposed to be the year the Atlanta Falcons finally turned the corner and returned to the postseason. Instead, sitting at 5-9 and knocked out of playoff contention back in Week 14, Atlanta is now staring at eight straight seasons without a playoff berth.
Promises were made by everyone from general manager Terry Fontenot to head coach Raheem Morris, and even first-year starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., about how things were going to be different in 2025. Yet here they are again — the same result, and arguably worse than the year before.
Morris and his staff were given a pass in his first season as head coach, barely missing the playoffs at 8-9 while finishing second in a very winnable NFC South. One year later, in that same division and with a significantly better roster, this looks like the same old Falcons fans have been watching for the better part of a decade.
With three games left, Morris may very well be coaching for his job — assuming Falcons owner Arthur Blank would actually be willing to pull the trigger. But the bigger question that follows is this: who would even want the job?
“Arthur Blank has generally been a patient owner, but if the Falcons do fire Raheem Morris after three losing seasons, it will be the second time in a row that Blank’s coach hire has been three-and-done,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “The Falcons haven’t posted a winning record since 2017, which might hint at why Blank’s patience could be wearing thin.”
Is The Falcons Job Desirable?
Barnwell recently ranked eight potential NFL head-coaching openings, breaking down which jobs would be the most appealing if they came open. The Falcons ranked sixth — ahead of only the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders.
That alone should raise eyebrows. Those are two franchises that, despite name recognition, have struggled for years to find stability. Being mentioned in the same tier is not exactly a selling point.
One of the biggest issues Barnwell pointed out was what a new coach would be inheriting. Atlanta’s projected 2026 cap space sits at $10.9 million, ranking 24th in the league. Their draft capital is even worse, ranking 30th overall.
The Falcons currently hold just five picks in the 2026 draft and won’t make their first selection until No. 42 in the second round. That’s because Atlanta sent its 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in order to trade back into the first round last year and select edge rusher James Pearce Jr. at No. 26 overall.
Pearce has been excellent and has helped transform a previously nonexistent pass rush, but sacks don’t show up in the standings. Wins do — and those still aren’t coming consistently under Morris or Fontenot.
Who Will Be QB For Falcons In 2026?
For any incoming head coach, the most important question is always the same: who is the quarterback?
That’s the very problem Morris and Fontenot attempted to solve early in their tenure, signing Kirk Cousins to a massive deal before doubling down by drafting Michael Penix Jr. in the first round.
That decision has been debated endlessly, but the fallout is now unavoidable. Penix is coming off a season-ending knee injury and will likely miss the start of next season, while Cousins’ contract has become a financial nightmare.
Cousins carries a $57.5 million cap hit in 2026 — nearly 19% of Atlanta’s entire cap. Moving on from him would free up money for extensions and roster flexibility, but it would also come with significant dead money spread over multiple seasons. Even so, that scenario appears more realistic than keeping him on the roster under his current deal.
“An incoming coach won’t have much draft capital to work with in 2026 and will be tied to Penix for at least one more season as he returns from another serious knee injury,” Barnwell wrote. “And that limits how appealing this job might be to incomers.”
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