Could the Falcons' fast finish save coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot?
The Falcons will enter the offseason with questions about the futures of their head coach and general manager.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons enter the final week of the 2025 regular season with a chance to tie their longest winning streak in six years. That may or may not be a good omen for head coach Raheem Morris.
Morris’ team has won three straight games heading into Sunday’s finale against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Falcons’ last four-game winning streak came in the final four games of the 2019 season, and there was a coach on the hot seat that season, too. After being eliminated from the postseason, Dan Quinn won those four games and retained his job, only to be fired after starting the 2020 season 0-5. He was replaced on an interim basis by Morris, who was a Quinn assistant for five years in Atlanta.
It must feel very familiar for Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who is considering sweeping changes in the organization he has overseen since 2002. Blank won’t speak to the media until after the season, a spokesperson said Monday night, but he already has taken steps toward exploring a different path for his team.
Most notably, he has talked with former quarterback Matt Ryan about a high-ranking job in the front office, league sources told The Athletic. General manager Terry Fontenot is in his fifth year with the Falcons, and the team has had a losing record in each of those seasons. Ryan is not expected to be an ornamental hire if he rejoins the franchise that put him in its Ring of Honor in 2024. In fact, the franchise’s all-time leading passer would shake up the organization more than many expect, some team insiders believe.
Blank has also asked sports consulting firm Sportsology Group, which includes former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith as an operating partner, to give feedback on the team’s processes, according to Sports Illustrated. Atlanta interviewed Smith for its general manager position before hiring Fontenot in 2021.
Rich McKay, the CEO of AMBSE (Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment), still visits the Falcons facility “probably … one day a week,” McKay said during an unscheduled appearance on Atlanta sports radio station 680 The Fan in October. But McKay reiterated then that he is not involved “on the football side.” Team president Greg Beadles runs the “day-to-day” operations of the team, McKay said.
The 83-year-old Blank appears to be planning for the future ownership of the team this season, as his son Josh has been a much more visible presence at games and the team facility. Josh Blank, who played soccer at Elon University from 2016 to 2019, is the vice president for executive strategy at AMBSE.
What all this means for Morris’ future is unclear with three days left in the season, but there is a growing belief around the league that the head coach could save his job if this hot streak continues.
The Falcons (7-9) are 3.5-point favorites against the Saints (6-10) on Sunday in a game that could have a say in the NFC South title race despite both teams being eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, the Buccaneers would win the division unless Atlanta beats New Orleans. A Falcons win in that scenario would cause a three-way tie atop the division at 8-9, and the Panthers would win the tiebreaker in that scenario. If the Panthers beat the Buccaneers on Saturday, Carolina wins the division regardless of the outcome of Atlanta’s game.