{"id":655616,"date":"2026-01-05T10:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/655616\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T10:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:08:15","slug":"potential-vikings-defensive-fit-was-fired-sunday-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/655616\/","title":{"rendered":"Potential Vikings Defensive Fit Was Fired Sunday Night"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time Sunday night, opting for a change after consecutive losing seasons by firing general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris<\/a>. Fontenot won\u2019t factor into the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 plans in the offseason, but Morris might.<\/p>\n

If Flores moves on, Minnesota will need a new defensive boss. and Morris checks the background, ties, and schematic boxes.<\/p>\n

Current defensive coordinator Brian Flores<\/a> may leave this month or next for a head coaching job, and if so, the Vikings would need a replacement. Morris should be considered a frontrunner for the job.<\/p>\n

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Why Raheem Morris Fits if Minnesota Loses Brian Flores<\/p>\n

Morris is out in Atlanta, and that means something to the Vikings.<\/p>\n

\"Raheem<\/p>\n

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris stands on the field prior to kickoff on Dec. 29, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, ahead of a matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. The pregame scene captured Morris during final preparations as Atlanta closed the season evaluating direction, staff structure, and late-year performance trends. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Falcons Pull the Lever on Change<\/p>\n

As a package deal, Fontenot and Morris were shown the door after Week 18. ESPN\u2019s Marc Raimondi wrote<\/a>, \u201cThe Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night after two straight disappointing seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir exits came hours after Atlanta wrapped up an 8-9 campaign with a 19-17 home win over the New Orleans Saints. Fontenot had been with the Falcons since 2021. Morris was hired in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some NFL fans believed Morris might be afforded grace after his team won four straight games to close out the season. The Falcons even personally sent the Carolina Panthers<\/a> to the playoffs on Sunday by beating the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta disagreed with the grace angle.<\/p>\n

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Falcons owner Arthur Blank released the following statement: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Fontenot and Morris will need new jobs around the league, and Morris could pique the Vikings\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n

Brian Flores Eyeing HC Job<\/p>\n

Last year, Flores interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, franchises that later hired Liam Coen and Aaron Glenn<\/a>, respectively. There\u2019s no reason to believe Flores would refuse head coaching opportunities this cycle if he entertained them one year ago.<\/p>\n

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In fact, reporters grilled Flores last week about his 2026 plans, and with a smile, he said he would leave the offseason to the offseason, focusing on the week at hand. It was the perfect opportunity for Flores to say, \u201cI\u2019m staying put here in Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, he didn\u2019t do that \u2014 because he wants to be a head coach again. And he should.<\/p>\n

If another team hires Flores for the big job, the Vikings will naturally need a new leader. Morris will top many DC-needy teams\u2019 lists.<\/p>\n

The Kevin O\u2019Connell + Raheem Moriss Connection<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connell worked for Sean McVay\u2019s Los Angeles Rams in 2020 and 2021, winning a Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford<\/a> and friends in 2021. That championship paved the way for the Vikings to hire O\u2019Connell, a relationship that has now lasted for four seasons.<\/p>\n

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Guessed who coordinated the Rams\u2019 Super Bowl-winning defense in 2021? Raheem Morris.<\/p>\n

Coaches love tapping their former coworkers for duty, and O\u2019Connell may be no different this go-round. He and Morris are buddies. That means something in sports. O\u2019Connell will convince himself that he can win a Super Bowl with Morris in Minnesota because they accomplished the task in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell and Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris exchange greetings before kickoff on Sep. 14, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The brief interaction reflected familiarity between coaching staffs as both teams prepared for an early-season matchup focused on execution, tempo, and sideline management. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Think of it this way: if Flores takes a head coaching gig, Morris will immediately become the frontrunner to land the Vikings\u2019 defensive coordinator job. Take that to the bank. U.S. Bank, even.<\/p>\n

If not Morris \u2014 Then Who?<\/p>\n

The would-be list<\/a> for Flores\u2019 replacements is obviously subject to change, but here\u2019s how the candidates might look in addition to Morris:<\/p>\n

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Daronte Jones (Vikings Def. Passing Game)<\/p>\n

Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals HC \u2014 if fired)<\/p>\n

Patrick Graham (Raiders DC)<\/p>\n

Jerod Mayo (Former Patriots HC)<\/p>\n

Todd Bowles (Buccaneers HC \u2014 if fired)<\/p>\n

Jeff Ulbrich (Falcons DC)<\/p>\n

Wink Martindale (Former Michigan DC)<\/p>\n

Besides Jones, Minnesota\u2019s current defensive passing game coordinator and former LSU defensive coordinator, no man on that list has clearer ties to O\u2019Connell than Morris.<\/p>\n

\"Raheem<\/p>\n

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris speaks with reporters on Apr. 1, 2025, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, during the NFL Annual League Meeting. The setting highlighted Morris addressing offseason priorities, league-wide topics, and organizational outlook while meeting with media as teams navigated rule discussions and long-term planning. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why he\u2019s in pole position for the job if Flores skedaddles.<\/p>\n

Flores\u2019 future should take shape within the next two weeks. The Las Vegas Raiders probably make the most sense for his next job due to the Tom Brady connection<\/a>. Brady and Flores were coworkers in New England for about a decade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time Sunday night, opting for a change after consecutive losing seasons by firing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":655617,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2073],"tags":[223,254,6696,86,260,2792,7,6496,125,7894,1014,58,32,233,259,2529,1167,55,255,6,208,2663,525,2660,1369,234],"class_list":["post-655616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-minnesota-vikings","tag-atlanta","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-brian-flores","tag-browns","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-defensive-coordinator","tag-football","tag-head-coach","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-jerod-mayo","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-matthew-stafford","tag-minnesota","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-minnesotavikings","tag-new-england","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-new-york-jets","tag-nfl","tag-patriots","tag-raheem-morris","tag-raiders","tag-terry-fontenot","tag-tom-brady","tag-vikings"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115841945145305261","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/655617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}