During the offseason, the Atlanta Falcons clearly thought they’d be competing for a playoff spot, or possibly even winning the NFC South. From the moment they traded their 2026 first-round pick so they could select James Pearce, it signalled that the Falcons were all in this season.

After winning eight games last season, the Falcons naturally entered Michael Penix Jr’s second season with elevated expectations. Through 11 weeks, it’s safe to say the Falcons have fallen well short of expectations with a 3-7 record.

When you don’t perform positively in the NFL, you lose your job. Is that what could end up happening to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris before next season kicks off?

According to ESPN’s NFL reporter Dan Graziano some “wonder” if the Falcons are considering a change. Though, since Morris is a “personal favorite” of Falcons team owner Arthur Blank, it doesn’t seem like a change is in the works.

“The usual disclaimer applies here. A lot of the “hot seat” speculation this time of year is from other people around the league monitoring these situations, and in the end, not many people know what the team owners will decide to do. That said, the team owner in Atlanta was expecting the Falcons to be competitive this season, and they are not, so you do wonder about the possibility of a change there even though Raheem Morris is a personal favorite of Arthur Blank and in only his second season as the Falcons’ head coach.”

ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Raheem Morris

The Falcons hired Morris before the 2020 NFL season kicked off, picking him over Bill Belichick and several other qualified candidates. He’s led the 15-23 record ever since, missing the playoffs in all three seasons.

That’s obviously not what the Falcons signed up for. While other factors, such as Michael Penix’s disappointing play, have contributed to the Falcons’ failures this season, that doesn’t excuse the past two years.

Related: NFL Report Card: Grading All 32 Teams Before Week 12

avatar
Sports fan since birth. I am also passionate about cars, music, and anything funny. Minnesotan, born and raised. Maybe ... More about Andrew Buller-Russ