A little over a month ago, the Atlanta Falcons named Raheem Morris as their new head coach following three less-than-inspiring seasons that saw the team finish under .500, missing the playoffs each time. While fielding questions from the media on Tuesday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine, Morris was quick to set the tone of his approach and offered an extremely blunt response to the state of affairs when it comes to the quarterback position.
Here are the awesomely candid words delivered by the Falcons new head honcho:
Raheem Morris on Atlanta being closer to contention than one might think:
?If we had better quarterback play I may not be standing here at the podium.? pic.twitter.com/dAZNTt7YTO
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) February 27, 2024
"If we had better quarterback play I may not be standing here at the podium."
Ouch. But, also, tremendous. And the accompanying photo of Morris paired with the stern quote could not have been any more lethal. It's as though a reel of awful interceptions is continuously playing inside this man's head.
For Falcons' 24-year-old quarterback Desmond Ridder, that brutal string of words dropped by Morris has likely left an instant lasting mark and it might be safe to assume a frantic call has already been placed to his (presumably) profusely sweating agent.
Simply put, fans and players alike are just not accustomed to hearing such an incredibly honest assessment from an NFL head coach even though the entire room of reporters were likely thinking that very thing.
Something along the lines of: "We're still evaluating things, watching film, and assessing our options" would have been the go-to type of a response — especially for a head coach a month into the job — and would have surprised exactly no one if that was what Morris opted to say.
But Morris didn't. The man has been put in place by owner Arthur Blank to turn things around and, honestly, Falcons fans have to be jumping for joy. Refreshing candor instead of the same old cliches wins out every time.
Below is a more extended version of what led to Morris's biting quote, one that has no doubt perked up the ears of everyone at Falcons headquarters:
Morris: ?If we had better QB play last year in Atlanta, I might not be standing here and they would have the ability to be talking about those things." #Falcons #NFLCombine
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) February 27, 2024
It probably helps that Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot appears to be on the same page, as he echoed similar thoughts on the position of quarterback — just not so painfully direct:
"We gotta get it right. And that's real clear. We haven't shied away from that. We know that's critical to get that position [QB] right, but it doesn't stop there. We have to get the right QB in, and we have to improve this entire roster."
Even though Fontenot didn't hit it so succinctly, the words of "we have to get the right QB in" is akin to basically tossing a headset, a clipboard, and maybe a Sharpie to Ridder — who will only be entering his third season — and saying, "thanks for trying."
Now, just for a minute, imagine if someone like 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan ever strolled up to the podium and just started offering blunt heaters like the one Morris did. It would never happen. You would be getting the same wishy-washy type of answer almost every single time, the type that always leaves room for interpretation.
But it's been made crystal clear what the Falcons need and what the Falcons want. And they'll have a ton of options to potentially upgrade at quarterback — whether it's through trade, free agency, or the NFL Draft. You kind of get the sense that when they do know, everyone else will soon know because Raheem Morris doesn't seem to be in the business of sending any mixed signals to his team or the fan base.
To quote what the great Bart Scott once said, "Can't wait!"
