Terry

Fontenot

It’s not that Fontenot didn’t hit well with his higher picks — Drake London and Bijan Robinson worked out pretty well — but he failed spectacularly by double-tapping quarterback with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix in the 2024 offseason. Before that, he was arguably too conservative by holding on to Desmond Ridder for multiple seasons. The last straw was probably sending Atlanta’s 2026 first-round pick to Los Angeles for the rights to draft EDGE James Pearce. It took a late winning streak to keep Atlanta from surrendering a top-10 pick. With both Fontenot and Raheem Morris gone, it’s a clean sweep in Atlanta.

We aren’t entirely sure who these “people” are, but Schefter knows as many people as any reporter around the league. That’s why we believe him when he says Morris is leaning safe, but that GM Terry Fontenot is on a hotter seat. Players love to play for Morris, but Fontenot’s huge front-office gambles have mostly fallen flat, none more so than last year’s shock selection of Michael Penix. We could still see Atlanta keeping the entire band together, but that seems unlikely at this point. Even Morris could still end up being let go depending on how this week’s exit meetings go.

Breer notes that the Falcons have brought in consulting firm Sportology to evaluate the in-house operations. We’re not getting many leaks on the ground out of Atlanta, but it’d be somewhat surprising if GM Terry Fontenot survived this latest failure after trading his 2026 first-round pick for rookie EDGE James Pearce, especially now that the team’s quarterback situation looks fully unsettled going forward after Michael Penix’s ACL tear. Raheem Morris is only in his second season on the job and may have more rope than Fontenot on account of that.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke the news before Thursday Night Football, saying Blank had just visited the set. We suspect Rapoport’s sourcing is highly reliable here. The Falcons are currently 4-9. It is possible, both Morris and Fontenot are ousted in early 2026.

Well, yeah. Marcus Mariota and Feleipe Franks are the only quarterbacks on Atlanta’s roster at the moment. The Falcons haven’t been tied to a quarterback at eighth overall all that often, but it has to at least be on the table. They also hold No. 43 and could wind up with someone like Sam Howell or Desmond Ridder. “We spent a lot of time with this QB class,’ Fontenot added.

Bair said Atlanta taking a wideout in the first round would likely depend on whether the team retains Calvin Ridley and re-signs Russell Gage. Bair mentioned Arkansas WR Treylon Burks as a potential pick for the Falcons -- an odd choice considering Burks is widely expected to be the fifth or sixth receiver off the draft board. With a plethora of roster holes, the Falcons could use their first rounder on a number of positions, including offensive tackle, edge rusher, and cornerback.

Smith and Fontenot were reportedly not in agreement with how to handle the No. 4 pick. They seem to have worked out their differences, though we still have no idea whether they’ll trade the pick for a king’s ransom or use it to draft a QB or Kyle Pitts. Smith reportedly believes Matt Ryan has some good years left in the tank, indicating Smith might be opposed to drafting Ryan’s heir apparent this spring. A passing attack headlined by Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, and Pitts would be frightening.

It’s not exactly a stunning admission, but it confirms that the Falcons are rightfully thinking about life after Matt Ryan, who will be 36 in May. Ryan, who is signed through the 2023 season, will count for $40.9 million against the salary cap in 2021, making him an unlikely cut candidate even if the Falcons draft his eventual replacement with the fourth pick in this spring’s NFL Draft. “You always bring in quarterbacks,” Fontenot said. “You need to bring in quarterbacks, whether it’s in the draft, whether it’s in free agency, or signing guys off the street. It’s so important, bring in quarterbacks a lot, build strengths.” Atlanta could sign a serviceable backup for Ryan if they don’t take a QB with their No. 4 pick. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, and Tyrod Taylor are among this offseason’s free agent signal callers.

Fontenot, who spent the past 18 years with the Saints and just finished his first season as the team’s vice president/assistant general manager for pro personnel, will take over as Atlanta’s GM after interviewing with several teams, including the Lions and Jaguars. Fontenot will play an outsized role in determining the Falcons’ future at quarterback with Matt Ryan, 36 in May, entering what will likely be his final years in the league.

This builds on reports that Smith is the frontrunner for the Falcons job. Smith has interviewed twice with Atlanta and cancelled his second interview with the Lions. All signs point to a deal getting done between the sides. The Falcons are expected to pair Smith with Saints VP Terry Fontenot as their general manager.