After failing at 2 different NFL head coaching stops separated by a decade, there’s a good chance Raheem Morris never gets that chance again after he ws fired by the Atlanta Falcons on January 4.
Don’t feel too bad for Morris, though. There are going to be teams likely falling over themselves to have him be their defensive coordinator for a long, long time.
One team in pretty desperate need of his services in 2026 would be the Washington Commanders, who fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. on January 6 after 2 seasons.
While almost every part of the Commanders roster needs to be re-tooled, the fix on offense might just be getting everyone healthy. The fix on defense is probably a little more complicated. Morris could be the first step to putting the pieces back together after a 5-12 regular season sent the franchise reeling.
“Raheem Morris is waiting out head coaching chances — he’s involved in Arizona search — but is expected to have multiple defensive coordinator looks should he not get a head job, per sources,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on X on Wednesday, January 21. “Morris has close ties to Kyle Shanahan (SF), Matt LaFleur (GB) and Dan Quinn (WSH).”
Morris was an assistant coach to Quinn for all 6 seasons he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, from 2015 to 2020. Quinn also gave Morris his first opportunity as an NFL defensive coordinator in 2020.
Morris One of Youngest Head Coaches in NFL History
The incredible thing about Morris being named an NFL defensive coordinator for the first time in 2020 is that it came a full 11 years after he was named an NFL head coach for the first time by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009, when he was just 32 years old.
Morris had already been promoted by the Buccaneers from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator to replace the late Monte Kiffin but made the leap to head coach after Jon Gruden was fired following the end of the regular season.
In 3 seasons with the Buccaneers, Morris went 17-31, including a 10-6 season in 2010, but was fired after going 4-12 in 2011. That was followed by 3 seasons as the defensive backs coach for the Commanders before his stint with the Falcons and Quinn, where he went 4-7 as interim head coach after Quinn was fired 5 games into the 2020 season.
Morris cleared a path back to being a head coach as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams from 2021 to 2023, which included a Super Bowl win following the 2021 season.
Falcons Stumbling, Bumbling Mess With Morris
We now know Morris was pretty much cooked as the Falcons head coach before he even coached a game thanks to a disastrous first few months on the job.
In a bizarre series of personnel moves, the Falcons signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million contract then drafted University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix in the first round (No. 8 overall) just one month later.
Morris’ constant back and forth between the 2 quarterbacks led to him going 16-18 over 2 seasons before owner Arthur Blank had seen enough. The Falcons hired former Cleveland Browns head coach and 2-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski to replace Morris on January 19.
Commanders Could Turn to Former Dan Quinn Protege as Defensive Coordinator