"Although the Falcons ended the season on a four-game winning streak, it was not enough to save general manager Terry Fontenot or head coach Raheem Morris. Hours after wrapping up an 8-9 season, the Falcons fired the duo on Sunday night. There was cautious optimism on the Falcons' staff that the club's late surge would prevent a housecleaning, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, that small sample of success came after the Falcons had already been eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. It wasn't enough to convince owner Arthur Blank to give Fontenot or Morris another shot in 2026."
"Fontenot's handling of the quarterback position helped lead to his undoing in Atlanta. The move to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM guaranteed in March 2024 backfired. Fontenot took the gamble just five months after Cousins' last season with the Vikings ended with a torn Achilles. In reworking Cousins' contract on Tuesday, the Falcons all but guaranteed that they'll release the 37-year-old sometime in the next two months."
The Atlanta Falcons dismissed general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris following an 8-9 season that ended with a four-game winning streak. The late surge arrived after elimination from playoff contention in Week 14 and failed to persuade owner Arthur Blank to retain either executive. The franchise has missed the postseason for eight straight years, with Fontenot leading the front office for five seasons and Morris serving two. A costly quarterback strategy — signing Kirk Cousins to a large deal despite recent injury and selecting Michael Penix Jr. early in the draft — contributed to instability. Penix later suffered a partially torn left ACL in Week 11 amid ongoing health concerns.
#atlanta-falcons #gm-and-head-coach-firing #quarterback-contract-and-health #michael-penix-jr-injury
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