The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot following their 19-17 win against the New Orleans Saints in their final game of the season on Sunday (January 4), the team announced on its official website.

"I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward," said team owner Arthur Blank. "The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits."

Morris went 16-18 during his two seasons as the Falcons' full-time head coach, having previously served as an interim following the firing of Dan Quinn in 2020, which saw him go 4-7 before accepting the defensive coordinator role with the Los Angeles Rams the following offseason. Fontenot was hired in 2021 and went 36-48, finishing with a losing record in all five seasons.

The Falcons finished the season on a four-game winning streak, finishing third in the NFC South Division standings after a 4-9 record through their first 13 games. Atlanta hasn't made the playoffs since the 2017 season.

The Falcons confirmed that their search for a new head coach and general manager would "begin immediately" on Sunday, though "no timeline has been set for completion of either search" though "they will occur concurrently."

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