Falcons expected to hire Raheem Morris as new head coach

Morris, who began his coaching career in 1998 as a graduate assistant at Hofstra, first coached in the NFL during the 2002 season with the Buccaneers as a defensive quality coach. In all, Morris coached nine seasons with the Bucs over two stints. He also coached three seasons in Washington as a secondary assistant under Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden. Then, Morris traveled to Atlanta to become a member of Quinn's staff as an assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator in 2015.

Back in Atlanta, Morris will find a defense that improved drastically in 2023, finishing 11th in total defense after it was 27th in 2022. He will also have a talent-rich offense, led by former first-round picks Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.

However, he will also find a looming quandary at QB as it would seem unlikely that Desmond Ridder or Taylor Heinicke would remain as the franchise's starting signal-caller.

Just how the Falcons front office will work with Morris, owner Arthur Blank, Falcons CEO Rich McKay and general manager Terry Fontenot collaborating will also be a prevailing topic.

Morris is coming off a playoff berth with the Rams, their second in the three seasons during his tenure as DC. Now, Morris will be looking to take the Falcons back to the postseason after a six-season drought.