The Atlanta Falcons may have a new head coach in Raheem Morris, but they didn’t completely overhaul the roster around him to give him a chance to make his mark. Instead, they gave him a team that is fully capable of winning the NFC South and hosting a home playoff game.
By signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract and investing heavily in their defense with new additions like edge rusher Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons, the Falcons are preparing for a final playoff run that could secure their division dominance for years to come.
Morris has signed another star long-term, as the Falcons have agreed to a four-year, $81 million contract extension with cornerback AJ Terrell. While Morris is fortunate to have a fantastic roster, he is also burdened with the weight of high expectations.
When you give a lot, you expect a lot. Morris no longer has the advantage of being able to learn on the job, as many first-year coaches do with their new teams. He needs to hit the ground running and start winning games right away, or the locals will get restless.
Morris will have a chance to correct his coaching mistakes of the past in Atlanta. Although he led the Buccaneers for three seasons between 2009 and 2011, he was clearly hired too young and out of his depth. His 17-31 record reflects that.
Morris, who went 4-7 as the Falcons’ interim coach in 2020 following the firing of Dan Quinn, has officially gone from being someone who was expected to compete for a division title to someone who is expected to win a division title. Things may be looking good for Atlanta, but any mistake will be magnified now that Morris has so much talent at his disposal.
Even with Sean McVay’s protégé Zac Robinson as OC, he’s still an unproven playmaker. Cousins is in his late 30s and coming off an Achilles injury, and the question of Michael Penix Jr. will haunt him for the rest of his tenure with the team.
A slow start or an inability to win a division widely considered the worst in the league could turn the fan base against Morris early in his career with the Falcons, but a win with players like Cousins and Terrell could erase any negativity.
