Terry Fontenot has been in place as the Falcons’ general manager since 2021. The team’s record has remained consistent during his four years at the helm, but Atlanta has yet to post a winning campaign or reach the postseason during that span. 
As a result, questions have been raised about a potential front office change. When speaking about the subject, owner Arthur Blank did not give Fontenot, 44, a public vote of confidence. However, he also declined to term 2025 as a make-or-break season with respect to his job security.
“Every year for everybody is a crucial year,” Blank said (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi). “So, I don’t want to say the NFL is ‘Not For Long.’ I don’t believe in that, because I fundamentally do believe – and I’ll make this point really clear – the most successful teams in the National Football League, you go back to the last 10 years, 20 years, 100 years… are teams that have long-term sustainability between their coaches and their general managers.”
Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith were paired together in 2021, but their three-year run did not go according to plan. Atlanta went 7-10 every year during that stretch, and Smith’s firing led to a reunion with Raheem Morris. The latter took on head coaching duties in 2024, a season which saw the team post a 6-3 start. The Falcons ended the year on a 2-6 skid, again falling short of a postseason berth and replacing Kirk Cousins with Michael Penix Jr. at the quarterback depth chart along the way. A potential parting of ways with Cousins after only one year in Atlanta is now a central offseason storyline.
Blank cited stability under center as another pillar of long-term success. The Falcons obviously hope Penix, selected with the No. 8 pick last April, will given them a true Matt Ryan successor. Even if that proves to be the case, though, Fontenot will be tasked with building a strong roster during the remainder of his rookie contract. Atlanta has made several high-profile draft investments on offense recently, and making needed improvements on the other side of the ball will be critical moving forward.
The NFC South has not excatly been among the league’s strongest divisions over Fontenot’s tenure, and again falling short of at least a wild-card berth in 2025 would no doubt lead to increased pressure with respect to a firing. For now, at least, Blank’s preference to keep him in place with Morris – and avoid a repeat of last season’s second-half fallout – has him safe for Year 5 at the helm.
I’ve never seen a team with a fair amount of talent on both sides of the ball also be such a mess since Fontenot took over….4 straight losing seasons, should’ve never hired Arthur Smith, had a hall of fame QB, to no QBs, to now 2 Qbs and cap/trade delimma, etc etc. It really is crazy.
In fairness, Ryan was 36 when Fontenot took over. But yeah, Mariota-Ridder and Ridder-Heineke is one of the worst two year quarterback situations I’ve seen in recent years that didn’t involve someone being injured, and last offseason was wacky.
Sigh
28-3 broke that bird-crap of a franchise & these comments confirm they’ll NEVER sniff another S.B again, let alone ever win one.
The Foxboro Cheatriots have fallen good and hard. Deservedly so.
He needs to fix that defense, bottom line. They’ve been subpar forever and a day on that side of the ball.
That should’ve been done winter/spring of 2024 after the Falcons allowed New Orleans to score a touchdown from victory formation in 2023/Week 18.
ATL has been win-and-need-help for the NFC South the past 2 seasons. Not only did ATL get pipped to the division both times, ATL lost its own Week 18 game as well.