Falcons Hire Raheem Morris As Head Coach, Snub Belichick In Shocking Move

In a shocking development, the Atlanta Falcons are hiring Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as their new head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The hire is a big surprise considering the rash of reports coming out that they were in serious talks to bring on former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Still, Morris has familiarity with the organization, having served as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator in 2020 and taking over as interim head coach after Atlanta fired Dan Quinn in 2020.

He spent the past three seasons as the Rams defensive coordinator where he helped lead the team to an NFC championship in 2021 and helmed some of the league’s top defenses. (Carolina Panthers Make Bafflingly Dumb Head Coaching Hire With First Time Play Caller: REPORT)

Raheem Morris was the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020; he now becomes their full-time head coach in 2023. https://t.co/26DabpFP6Z

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2024

Former Los Angeles Ram and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey approved of the hire, tweeting, “Falcons got one of, if not the best coach in the NFL forreal!”

He then followed it up with, “It ain’t just me who thinks this lol… ask any player who has played for Rah!”

It ain’t just me who thinks this lol… ask any player who has played for Rah! https://t.co/u8zrcZTgxz

— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) January 25, 2024

The Falcons’ move means there are only two open head coach slots left for a possible Belichick regime: The Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Commanders. Seattle, who has been heavily linked to Quinn, most recently the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, seems less likely than Washington.

Washington makes a ton of sense for Belichick. He grew up in the area and attended high school in nearby Annapolis, Maryland. The organization is in need of a steady hand after a recent tumultuous ownership change. While they have brought in a new team president that could stand in the way of an entirely Belichick-controlled team, if the two sides can learn to co-exist it could be the move to pull Washington out of their long spell of mediocrity.