Just days after the Falcons fired him, Raheem Morris is drawing plenty of interest from teams looking for a head coach. After scheduling a Titans interview, he’ll also meet with the Giants and Cardinals in the next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 49-year-old Morris has worked as a full-time NFL head coach twice. His first opportunity came with the Buccaneers from 2009-11. The Bucs put together a 10-win campaign in Morris’ second year, but that was sandwiched between seasons in which they went 3-13 and 4-12. First-round quarterback Josh Freeman didn’t pan out as hoped, which helped lead to Morris’ demise.
Morris primarily served as defensive assistant with Washington and Atlanta from 2012-20, though he was also the Falcons’ wide receivers coach for three years and their passing game coordinator for one. Morris also had a stint as the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020. He went 4-7 replacing the fired Dan Quinn. The Falcons hired Arthur Smith during the ensuing offseason.
With Smith taking over, Morris temporarily departed Atlanta to serve as Sean McVay‘s defensive coordinator in Los Angeles. Morris held that role through 2023. He was a key figure on the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning staff in 2021.
Morris’ efforts with the Rams earned him another head coaching shot in Atlanta, where he succeeded the fired Smith, but the reunion didn’t go well. The Falcons posted a subpar 16-18 record under Morris from 2024-25. Although the Falcons made big investments in quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr, neither provided an obvious solution under center over the past two years. The franchise cleaned house in giving Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot their walking papers last Sunday night.
Any coach who has a suboptimal QB situation is likely to struggle. Finding an answer at the position has been a problem so far for Morris, who has gone a woeful 37-56. However, he’d inherit a potential franchise signal-caller in New York. The Giants are hopeful they found one when they used the 25th pick in the 2025 draft on Jaxson Dart, who had a promising rookie year despite concussion issues.
Morris would work with Dart in New York, but there’s less clarity in Arizona. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is under contract for another year. He may stick around as a bridge QB, though the Cardinals could find their next starter in the draft. They’re slated to pick third overall in the spring. Former No. 1 overall selection Kyler Murray is still on the roster, but the Cardinals are likely to trade or release the seven-year veteran in the next couple of months.