The Rams coaching team is experiencing significant changes once again.
According to an anonymous source, Raheem Morris, the defensive coordinator, will be leaving his position to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. This move has not yet been officially announced by the Falcons. Morris, who has previously served as head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as an interim coach for the Falcons, holds a 24-38 record as a head coach.
Jalen Ramsey, who used to play for the Rams and now plays for the Dolphins, expressed his happiness for Morris. Ramsey tweeted that the Falcons have hired one of the best coaches in the NFL. Morris had interviewed with several teams, including the Falcons, Chargers, Washington Commanders, Panthers, and Seahawks, during the offseason.
Morris received public support from Rams coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead, and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff during the interview process.
Morris, who previously led the Rams’ defense to a Super Bowl victory, faced a challenging season in 2022 as the team struggled with a 5-12 record. However, they made a remarkable comeback the following year, surpassing expectations and finishing with a 10-7 record. Unfortunately, their successful run was cut short in the playoffs, suffering a narrow 25-24 defeat to the Detroit Lions in the NFC wild-card game. Additionally, Morris is not the only member of McVay’s coaching staff to move on, as defensive line coach Eric Henderson recently accepted a position as USC’s co-defensive coordinator.
The impact of Morris and Henderson’s departure on Aaron Donald’s future as a defensive lineman is still unknown.
Donald, a highly successful NFL player, suggested that he might retire after the 2021 season. He confirmed that he will be back next season despite having a high salary-cap number of $34.2 million. On the other hand, McVay, who has been with the Rams for seven seasons, is now going to work with his fourth defensive coordinator.
From 2017 to 2019, Wade Phillips was in charge of the defense. However, after only one season, Staley became the head coach for the Chargers, allowing Morris, who had previously worked with McVay in Tampa Bay and Washington, to take over the defense.
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