Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank didn't wait long to make his decision on the future of the franchise. Shortly after Sunday's 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints, the Falcons announced that both head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot had been let go, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
For Fontenot, the move was overdue, with the GM having joined the franchise at the end of the 2020 season and not managing to oversee a single winning season. Morris had a two-year tenure and wasn't able to turn things around for a team that remains mired in frustration.
Now, the Falcons have an opportunity to bring in a franchise-changing leader and utilize an exciting core. With this in mind, let's look at the three names that should be at the top of Atlanta's list as the head coaching search begins.
1. Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy is the safe and boring choice that Blank could tend to lean towards after two recent swings and misses. Both Morris and Arthur Smith came from strong coaching trees and had proven resumes as coordinators. Perhaps the next logical step is to bring in a veteran coach who is a proven winner in the lead role. Whether or not you like McCarthy, there is no denying that the head coach has had consistent success in each of his previous landing spots.
With a career record of 174-112-2, McCarthy has won 60% of his games and is going to be stepping into a strong roster. If the Falcons can figure out the quarterback position, all of the needed talent is in place to rule the NFC South and perhaps make a surprise run in the 2026 season. Adding to the case for the former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach is the fact that he is a Super Bowl winner and has 11 postseason victories overall.
It also wasn't that long ago when McCarthy coached the Cowboys to three straight 12-win campaigns. For reference, the Falcons haven't won that many games since 1998 (14) and have achieved double-digit wins since 2017 (10).
If the Falcons want a safe bet that has a known ceiling, bringing in McCarthy makes sense. If the head coach wants to continue his career, Atlanta is the most logical landing spot, offering the most talent of the available jobs.
2. Joe Brady
If the Falcons are going to go the route of hiring a coordinator, it makes sense to look at the offensive side. Morris was a defensive hire and completely failed to make the needed defensive adjustments in the 2024 season. However, Atlanta had the league's second-most sacks in 2025, thanks to the energy of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
Hiring Joe Brady keeps the defensive scheme intact, with it seeming very likely that Brady would keep Ulbrich in place out of respect for this season's accomplishments.
Furthering the case for Brady is the fact that the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator was in place for Josh Allen's 2024 MVP run and has them in position to make a deep playoff run despite only having one reliable weapon in running back James Cook. It is fun to imagine what he might accomplish with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and a reliable offensive line.
For Brady, much is going to be decided over the next three weeks of the season as Buffalo's attempt to take advantage of this year's chaos begins with a road playoff game in Jacksonville.
3. Brian Flores
Again, it is important to point out that the Falcons have seen back-to-back failures when targeting coordinators. Atlanta's hiring system is clearly flawed, and perhaps the best way to fix this is simply hiring a leader with proven head coaching experience.
Brian Flores had two winning seasons with the Miami Dolphins while dealing with chaos at the quarterback position. Miami's defense overachieved, and the offense did enough to make the team consistently interesting throughout the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The nature of Flores' exit with the franchise remains a bit murky, but what isn't is the qualifications of the current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator. If the Falcons want to go the defensive route, it makes sense to have Flores as the first call based on the proven ceiling. It would allow the Falcons to bring in a dynamic offensive mind to control the offense and put the perfect leader over a talented defensive roster.
For Atlanta, there really are several possibilities considering just how enticing a landing spot the Falcons should be, and the desperation of an owner who badly needs an offseason win.