Falcons Interested In John Harbaugh; Latest On Giant’ Pursuit
It took no time for former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to draw interest from other NFL teams.
No club appears to be more invested than the Giants, who are “all-in” in securing the 62-year-old coach, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. They were among the first teams with reported interest, though several followed suit. Among them are the Falcons, who are “increasingly interested,” according to Hughes.
Teams will be looking to move fast to secure Harbaugh’s services. He could meet with the Giants as early as this weekend (via The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor), as they have already begun interviewing their candidates. Their other potential hires include ex-Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was seen as an early frontrunner before Harbaugh became available.
Harbaugh may have a similar effect on other head coaching searches. That could raise questions about the NFL’s Rooney Rule, especially if a team fires their current head coach to hire Harbaugh. They would still have to interview minority candidates under the Rooney Rule, but those would clearly be shams, resulting in declined interviews and/or punishment from the NFL. Going to New York or Atlanta, who already have openings and interview requests out to multiple minority candidates, might be the cleanest outcome.
Like the Giants, the Falcons have a young quarterback in place, though he may not have the same affinity for Michael Penix that he reportedly does for Jaxson Dart. But Atlanta’s roster is stocked with young talent on both sides of the ball that would keep Harbaugh out of a rebuilding situation he would likely prefer to avoid. New York seems like a bigger risk for that kind of scenario, though Harbaugh may also want to spearhead a rebuild for his second act, too. And of course, even a single offseason of heavy investment via the trade, free agency, and the trade market could get the Giants back in playoff contention next year.
Of course, Harbaugh will still need to close the deal in his interviews. He is going in with the huge advantage of his pedigree and the respect he commands around the NFL, but the Ravens did not fire him for no reason. He will need to prove he can still remain adaptable to the modern league and continue to connect with players four decades his junior.
Buccaneers To Retain HC Todd Bowles; New OC In Play
Although the Buccaneers won their Week 18 game over the Panthers, the Falcons’ four-game win streak ultimately did them in. Carolina advanced to the wild-card round due to the NFC South’s three-way tiebreaker at 8-9, leaving Tampa Bay out of the bracket for the first time since Jameis Winston‘s 2019 finale.
Reports ahead of the Bucs’ Week 18 game tabbed Todd Bowles as more likely to stay, despite the team’s collapse, and the veteran HC confirmed as much to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Bowles will be back for a fifth season as Bucs HC. Staff changes, however, are coming.
Bowles, 62, confirmed there will be changes. The prospect of the Bucs having yet another new offensive coordinator is in play, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the team has kicked around the idea of pairing Bowles with a new OC hire and potentially changes on the defensive side.
Josh Grizzard was believed to be on the hot seat closing out his first season as the team’s offensive play-caller. The defensive changes could include a coordinator, but as it stands, that job is vacant. Bowles calls the Bucs’ defensive plays, and the former Super Bowl-winning DC is still highly regarded there.
Bowles signed a through-2028 extension this past offseason, and the prospect of firing a coach with three years left on a contract was believed to factor into the team’s decision. The Bucs slunk from 6-2 to 7-9, failing to win another NFC South title despite the division underwhelming yet again. But Bowles is poised to have at least one more chance.
The Bucs have continued to pour resources into retaining their core, regularly extending and re-signing starters while relying little on outside acquisitions. That strategy limited the Colts for a while, and the team ultimately deviated. The Bucs have enjoyed more success in that area, in part because the Saints-Falcons-Panthers trio has struggled for most of this decade, and Bowles won a playoff game as HC when the Bucs ousted the Eagles in the 2023 wild-card round. But the team has stagnated since, leading to speculation about the HC’s future.
Tampa Bay has employed a different OC in each of Bowles’ first four seasons. They fired Byron Leftwich after the 2022 season, and both Dave Canales and Liam Coen booked head coaching jobs on the back of strong Baker Mayfield seasons. Tampa Bay opted for continuity rather than an outside hire this past offseason, promoting Grizzard to the OC role. The team started strong but ran into a host of injuries. The Bucs played much of the season without wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. Bucky Irving also missed a chunk of his second season.
Offensive line issues also hounded the team, with Stroud adding ownership factored these into the decision to retain Bowles. These limitations clearly affected the offense, but the Bucs also lost late-season contests with their optimal skill-position corps available. That will turn up the heat on Grizzard.
The Bucs regressed from third to 21st in total offense from 2024 to ’25 and fourth to 18th in scoring. Grizzard being fired after an injury-plagued season would represent a tough beat, but with Bowles’ seat warming, he may need to make a move to better ensure improvement. A similar offensive cast should return in 2026, though Evans is again out of contract. As is Cade Otton. That could bring challenges for the next Bucs OC or if Grizzard manages to stay on, though the team regularly has shown the ability to re-sign pending FAs.
Bowles has not employed a true DC during his tenure, having moved from that role to his HC position midway through the 2022 offseason. The Bucs, though, did rank 20th in points allowed this season. The team lost four straight to opponents with losing records, bottoming out with a Week 15 loss to the Falcons. If nothing else, Fowler adds defensive staff additions — potentially south of the coordinator level — are being considered.
Staving off firing rumors in the past, Bowles will probably be on one of the league’s hottest seats entering the 2026 season. The defensive-minded leader will be tasked with elevating the Bucs past their place as a second-tier NFC contender, where they have resided since Tom Brady‘s unretirement.
Ravens Request HC Interview With Anthony Weaver, Klint Kubiak
The Ravens have begun their search to replace longtime head coach John Harbaugh.
Baltimore’s first two interview requests have gone to Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Weaver, 45, is a former Ravens player and coach. He was drafted by then-general manager Ozzie Newsome in the second round of the 2022 draft and started for his entire time in Baltimore. He then spent three years in Houston before retiring and joining the coaching ranks, first at the college level before jumping to the NFL with the Jets. He then served as a defensive line coach for the, Bills, Browns, and Texans before a stint as interim defensive coordinator in Houston after Bill O’Brien was fired in 2020.
Weaver went back to Baltimore in 2021, this time as a coach with a dual DL coach/defensive run game coordinator role. In 2022, he added associate head coach to his title. The Ravens were consistently one of the league’s top run-stopping defenses under Weaver, and his unit was a huge factor in the team’s success under Mike Macdonald in 2022 and 2023.
Weaver interviewed for the Ravens’ DC job when Macdonald left for Seattle, but it went to Zach Orr instead. Weaver was then hired by Mike McDaniel to replace Vic Fangio in Miami. The Dolphins defense improved from 22nd in points and 10th in yards in 2023 to 10th and fourth, respectively, in 2024. The unit regressed to bottom-10 numbers this past season, though Weaver was not helped by general manager Chris Grier. He virtually ignored the defense in the offseason, leaving his DC especially weak at cornerback and defensive tackle.
Weaver would return to Baltimore armed with two years of play-calling. experience and a few connections to potential offensive coordinators. Ex-Texans OC Bobby Slowik spent the 2025 season in Miami, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that Dolphins owner and Michigan alum Stephen Ross consideres replacing McDaniel with Harbaugh. That could make McDaniel an option to come with Weaver to Baltimore as OC, though he himself may garner head coaching consideration, too.
Kubiak, 38, is arguably the hottest offensive head coach candidate this hiring cycle, which is far stronger in defensive-minded coaches. He has been with five different teams in the last five years, which is a potential red flag, but it also gives him a number of connections around the league. He has also spent time under Kyle Shanahan and Mike Zimmer, two other experienced, well-respected coaches that add to Kubiak’s pedigree. That could help him build a strong staff – for example, bringing Seahawks DC Aden Durde to Baltimore. He also has play-calling experience for multiple offenses and could likely adapt his system to Lamar Jackson’s skillset.
Obviously, Kubiak’s last name is relevant to the Ravens, who employed his father, Gary Kubiak, as their offensive coordinator in 2014. Kubiak departed the next season for Denver, but he is still fondly remembered in Baltimore.
Dolphins GM Candidates Being Asked About Mike McDaniel Status; John Harbaugh Not In Play?
The Dolphins are conducting a GM search that could determine where they go at head coach. For the time being, Mike McDaniel remains employed as HC — to the point he is being given input on the GM search — but it is not certain he will receive a fifth season.
Miami’s set of GM interviews thus far have seen candidates asked about working with McDaniel, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. But the meetings have also included the search committee asking the candidates about thoughts on replacing the four-year HC and starting fresh. This prospect came up Tuesday as well.
Considering the issues mismatched timelines can cause, it is unsurprising the Dolphins are listening to candidates’ views about working with a coach on the hot seat. More teams as of late have opted to start their GM and HC timeclocks concurrently. But Dolphins ownership is believed to be fond of McDaniel, hence the interesting situation in which he has input on a process that involves his job status.
This is certainly not the smoothest setup, but it is how the Dolphins are proceeding with their first GM search in 10 years. McDaniel still appears to have a better chance to stay than be canned, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano note, indicating the embattled leader still has support in “important parts of the building.”
Chris Grier did not have full roster control until 2019, but the Dolphins promoted him to GM in 2016. Miami has not hired a GM from outside the organization since appointing Dennis Hickey to the post in 2014. This represents uncovered ground for the modern Dolphins, who have brought in Troy Aikman to help with the hire. Aikman’s old coach, Jimmy Johnson, suggested the team speak with the ESPN analyst, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes.
Following a rather publicized Cowboys breakup, Johnson ended up back in Miami coaching the Dolphins from 1996-99. Stephen Ross was not yet the team owner during Johnson’s tenure, but the Hall of Fame coach still clearly has a line to the franchise. Aikman joins Dan Marino and other staffers on the search committee.
Three of the Dolphins’ GM candidates — Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad, R.J. Gillen — are 49ers staffers who worked with McDaniel previously. Hiring one of them would point to the HC staying on. Hiring one of the other interviewees, however, may lead elsewhere. An interesting possible third door opened Tuesday night, as the Ravens fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh is believed to have received interest from at least seven teams, meaning at least one club without a coaching vacancy gauged his interest. Considering McDaniel’s tenuous status, it would stand to reason they would reach out to the new coaching free agent.
This may or may not have occurred. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports the Dolphins have been in touch with Harbaugh, adding team ownership is believed to have an affinity for the veteran HC. Countering this, however, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson indicates no engagement of any kind has taken place between the Dolphins and Harbaugh.
Considering Harbaugh’s accomplishments, it would be natural to assume the Dolphins would have interest. But the lot of HC-needy teams, most notably the Giants, does as well. Harbaugh has only coached with the Eagles and Ravens since entering the NFL in 1998. He would provide a proven option on a market that largely lacks them. The team that does end up with Harbaugh, though, would seemingly need to be a non-rebuilding operation presently.
Dolphins ownership did move on from Grier due partially to the GM’s interest in conducting a fire sale at the trade deadline, pointing against a rebuild. Then again, the team appears on the verge of dropping Tua Tagovailoa and looking for a new quarterback. That would at least present a key rebuild ingredient, which could make a Harbaugh fit clunky.
Ohio State S Caleb Downs Declares For 2026 Draft
Ohio State safety and projected first-round pick Caleb Downs has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer).
Downs, 21, was a five-star recruit out of Georgia who was thought to be the No. 1 safety in the class of 2023. He committed to Alabama, and not only did he earn a starting job as a freshman, he led the SEC in solo tackles. He finished 107 total tackles, plus 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and four passes defended and earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts.
Nick Saban’s retirement after the 2023 college football season led Downs to transfer to Ohio State, where he continued to dominate opposing offenses. He did not match his freshman-year raw tackle totals in Columbus, but he made more splash plays around the line of scrimmage while continuing similar ball production in the passing game.
Downs racked up the accolades in his two years at Ohio State, earning first-team Big 10 and All-American honors in both years, plus Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and the Jim Thorpe Award in his final seasons. Downs also played a key role on the Buckeyes defense that ran through a gauntlet of tough offense on their way to the 2024 national championship.
Downs is currently considered the top safety prospect in the 2026 draft class by a significant margin. At the moment, he is the No. 1 prospect on Pro Football Focus’ big board and No. 11 on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s rankings. As an early-declaring prospect with three years as a starter and the growing impact of versatile safeties in the NFL, Downs could be seen as a young cornerstone around which teams can build their entire defense.
The NFL has not spent top-10 picks on safeties in recent years. The highest drafted safety in the last five years was Kyle Hamilton, the 14th overall pick in 2022, while Jamal Adams (sixth overall, 2017) was the last one to go in the first 10 picks. Downs has the potential to have the same kind of multi-dimensional impact in an NFL defense, though landing under the right coach in the appropriate defensive scheme will still be important. Downs’ testing at the Combine could solidify his status as a top-10 prospect, but a poor showing could drop his stock similarly to Hamilton’s pre-draft fall.
Commanders Fire O-Line Coach; Dan Quinn Disagreed With Coordinator Firings?
A year after a surprise NFC championship game appearance, the Commanders moved on from both their coordinators. This follows a 5-12 season in which Jayden Daniels suffered three injuries that limited him to just seven games in total.
More fallout from the firings has emerged. For starters, the Commanders have fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Nicki Jhabvala report. Johnson was a Dan Quinn hire upon arrival. He had coached the Giants’ O-line during Brian Daboll‘s first two seasons.
This marks the second time in three years Johnson has been fired. The Giants let him go following the 2023 season. Johnson had served as the Bills’ O-line coach from 2019-21 before following Daboll to the Big Apple. Johnson had not worked with Quinn or Kliff Kingsbury previously.
Kingsbury represented the biggest domino to fall Tuesday, as he had drawn extensive head coaching interest last year and had popped up as a candidate again — even after a down Commanders season. While demoted DC Joe Whitt was viewed as on the way out, Kingsbury brought a surprise. But a report over the weekend indicated Kingsbury and GM Adam Peters were not seeing eye-to-eye. Soon after, Kingsbury is a coaching free agent despite one season remaining on his contract.
The Commanders had lured Kingsbury away from his 2024 Raiders commitment, dangling a third year the former Cardinals HC coveted. The Raiders had only offered a two-year deal. Kingsbury, 46, figures to be in demand moving forward. This dismissal reportedly came against the objections of Daniels and other offensive players, and it does not appear to be the first instance of the Washington front office disagreeing with the coaching staff.
Quinn did not seem overly interested in firing his coordinators, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who adds front office meddling with Quinn’s staff is believed to be an issue for the franchise. The issue extends to the front office giving instructions on which players to use, per Schultz. It is not uncommon for GMs to have preferences on how players are utilized; after all, they do generally have roster control. But conflict between front offices and staffs on this level is certainly something to monitor, as Schultz adds there were “notable disagreements” during a 5-12 season on this front.
This disconnect will obviously be a storyline to monitor. Peters did not have Quinn as his first choice. The Commanders were moving toward a Ben Johnson hire in 2024. Like the Raiders in 2025, however, Johnson’s wishes did not align with this plan. Quinn became a safe choice after three solid seasons as Dallas’ DC, and he guided Washington to road wins over the Buccaneers and No. 1-seeded Lions — Johnson’s Detroit finale — in last season’s playoffs. Injuries to Daniels and Terry McLaurin significantly impacted this year’s Commanders edition.
Considering this report, it will be interesting to see if rumblings about a Quinn departure emerge in the near future. Otherwise, it would seem the second-chance HC will enter the season on a hot seat. Coordinator firings regularly precede a head coach’s seat warming, and it should be safe to assume that is the case in Washington heading into the offseason.
Commanders Request To Interview Raiders’ Patrick Graham For Defensive Coordinator Job
One day after the Commanders fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt, the first candidate to take over the role has emerged. The Commanders have requested an interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
It appears the Raiders will grant the Commanders’ request. Washington plans to discuss the job with Graham on “Friday or Saturday,” a league source told Josina Anderson of The Exhibit.
Graham, a Yale alumnus, began his NFL coaching career as an assistant on Bill Belichick‘s staff in New England in 2009. He remained on Belichick’s staff and held multiple roles through 2015. After dividing the next three seasons between the Giants and Packers, he became a first-time defensive coordinator with the Dolphins in 2019.
Brian Flores, another former Belichick assistant, was the Dolphins’ head coach in Graham’s lone season in Miami. The Dolphins’ defense finished last in the NFL in scoring and 30th in yardage, but Graham still earned a promotion during the ensuing offseason.
Graham left South Florida to work for another ex-Patriots staffer in Joe Judge, who hired Graham as an assistant head coach and D-coordinator. The Giants ranked ninth in scoring and 12th in yards in 2020, but the unit fell to 23rd and 21st, respectively, the next season. The Giants fired Judge afterward.
Although his run with the Giants didn’t go as planned, Graham quickly landed on his feet as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator. He initially coached under Josh McDaniels, yet another Belichick disciple. McDaniels lost his job during the 2023 campaign, but Graham remained in his post under Antonio Pierce and then Pete Carroll. The Raiders had a top 10 scoring defense in ’23, but they’ve otherwise ranked 25th or worse under Graham. However, they finished either 14th or 15th in yards in each of the past three seasons.
Carroll is now out after one year as the Raiders’ head coach, leaving Graham and the team’s other assistants in limbo. With that in mind, the 46-year-old Graham may jump at the chance to lead the Commanders’ defense if head coach Dan Quinn offers him the position.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson To Enter Draft
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports. Simpson informed Alabama’s coaches of his decision to forgo his senior season on Wednesday.
Simpson, ESPN’s 27th-ranked recruit coming out of high school, committed to Alabama in February 2021. He wound up playing sparingly with the Crimson Tide from 2022-24. Jalen Milroe, now a backup quarterback with the Seahawks, was Alabama’s starter during that three-year span.
With Milroe moving on to the pros, Simpson finally got his chance to lead the Crimson Tide’s offense this season. He completed 64.5% of passes and threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games. Simpson earned second-team All-SEC honors and helped his team to a College Football Playoff berth.
Alabama advanced with a first-round win over Oklahoma, but its season ended with a 38-3 blowout loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Hoosiers Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the potential No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, got the better of Simpson. After Simpson suffered a rib injury, backup Austin Mack replaced him early in the second half.
Despite an unceremonious ending to his time at Alabama, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Simpson could come off the board early in April’s draft. However, assuming Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore declare, expectations are they’ll enter the proceedings as the top-ranked QBs in the class.
Moore (No. 1) and Mendoza (No. 2) are the highest-rated prospects on Mel Kiper’s latest big board at any position. The ESPN draft analyst doesn’t have Simpson as a top 25 prospect, but he’s third among QBs.. If that holds up over the next few months, Simpson may have a chance to go in the first round.
Browns To Hold HC Interviews With Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees; Interview Requested With Bengals’ Dan Pitcher
The Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday, but it’s possible his replacement will come from the staff he assembled. The team will conduct head coaching interviews with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
While the Browns will discuss the position with Schwartz and Rees, they’re also hoping to meet with Bengals O-coordinator Dan Pitcher. The Browns have requested an interview with Pitcher, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
The 59-year-old Schwartz is the lone member of this trio with head coaching experience. He spent five years as Detroit’s head coach from 2009-13, though success largely eluded the franchise during that stretch.
The Lions went 10-6 and earned a playoff berth in 2011, but they missed the postseason in every other year under Schwartz. They fired him after he posted a 29-51 record.
A longtime D-coordinator in Tennessee before he moved to Detroit, Schwartz has worked on defensive staffs with the Bills, Eagles, Titans and Browns since 2014. He won Super Bowl LII as the Eagles’ coordinator in 2017. Schwartz has also enjoyed success since heading to Cleveland in 2023.
The Browns finished tops in the league in total defense in Schwartz’s first season, their most recent playoff campaign. Although the team logged a horrid 5-12 record in 2025, its defense ranked fourth in yardage and 14th in points. Defensive end Myles Garrett, the Browns’ franchise player, set the single-season sack record in taking down opposing quarterbacks 23 times. Garrett has made it clear that he loves playing for Schwartz, which could better the coach’s chances of a promotion.
Schwartz’s defense held its own in 2025, but the same wasn’t true for Rees’ offense. The unit, which didn’t find an answer at quarterback among Joe Flacco (traded to the Bengals in October), Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, racked up the second-fewest yards and third-fewest points in the league. It’s worth pointing out that Rees did not handle play-calling duties the entire way. Stefanski handed him those responsibilities in early November.
A former Notre Dame quarterback, Rees served in prominent coaching roles with the Fighting Irish from 2017-22. Rees worked as their quarterbacks coach before adding O-coordinator duties to his resume in 2020. He held the same positions in 2023 at Alabama, where he was an assistant to Nick Saban in the legendary head coach’s last season.
Rees jumped to the pros the next season when Stefanski brought him aboard as a pass game specialist and tight ends coach. He was a candidate to become North Carolina’s head coach last offseason, but that job went to Bill Belichick.
While the 33-year-old Rees also interviewed for Penn State’s HC vacancy last month, the Nittany Lions chose Matt Campbell instead. A few weeks later, Rees will garner some consideration at the NFL level.
Pitcher, 38, began his NFL career as a scout with the Colts in 2012. He worked under current Browns general manager Andrew Berry, then the Colts’ pro scouting coordinator, for four years. That may give Pitcher an advantage in the Browns’ Berry-led coaching search.
A coach since 2016, Pitcher has spent a decade on the Bengals’ staff. He began as an offensive assistant before later becoming the Bengals’ QBs coach in 2020, Joe Burrow‘s rookie year. Burrow has been one of the league’s premier signal-callers when healthy, though injuries have been a frequent issue. He was fully healthy in 2024, Pitcher’s first season as offensive coordinator. The Bengals had a top 10 offense then.
Burrow missed nine games with a toe injury in 2025, leaving Pitcher to work with Flacco for a six-start stretch. The Bengals ended the year a respectable 12th in scoring and a slightly below-average 17th in yards.
If Pitcher doesn’t land a head coaching job this offseason, it seems likely he’ll remain in Cincinnati. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that he doesn’t expect to make changes to his staff.
Raheem Morris Sets Up HC Interviews With Giants, Cardinals
Just days after the Falcons fired him, Raheem Morris is drawing plenty of interest from teams looking for a head coach. After scheduling a Titans interview, he’ll also meet with the Giants and Cardinals in the next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 49-year-old Morris has worked as a full-time NFL head coach twice. His first opportunity came with the Buccaneers from 2009-11. The Bucs put together a 10-win campaign in Morris’ second year, but that was sandwiched between seasons in which they went 3-13 and 4-12. First-round quarterback Josh Freeman didn’t pan out as hoped, which helped lead to Morris’ demise.
Morris primarily served as defensive assistant with Washington and Atlanta from 2012-20, though he was also the Falcons’ wide receivers coach for three years and their passing game coordinator for one. Morris also had a stint as the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020. He went 4-7 replacing the fired Dan Quinn. The Falcons hired Arthur Smith during the ensuing offseason.
With Smith taking over, Morris temporarily departed Atlanta to serve as Sean McVay‘s defensive coordinator in Los Angeles. Morris held that role through 2023. He was a key figure on the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning staff in 2021.
Morris’ efforts with the Rams earned him another head coaching shot in Atlanta, where he succeeded the fired Smith, but the reunion didn’t go well. The Falcons posted a subpar 16-18 record under Morris from 2024-25. Although the Falcons made big investments in quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr, neither provided an obvious solution under center over the past two years. The franchise cleaned house in giving Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot their walking papers last Sunday night.
Any coach who has a suboptimal QB situation is likely to struggle. Finding an answer at the position has been a problem so far for Morris, who has gone a woeful 37-56. However, he’d inherit a potential franchise signal-caller in New York. The Giants are hopeful they found one when they used the 25th pick in the 2025 draft on Jaxson Dart, who had a promising rookie year despite concussion issues.
Morris would work with Dart in New York, but there’s less clarity in Arizona. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is under contract for another year. He may stick around as a bridge QB, though the Cardinals could find their next starter in the draft. They’re slated to pick third overall in the spring. Former No. 1 overall selection Kyler Murray is still on the roster, but the Cardinals are likely to trade or release the seven-year veteran in the next couple of months.