Falcons owner Arthur Blank issues vote of confidence in staff, roster after seventh straight losing season

The Atlanta Falcons have not made the playoffs since 2017 and last season posted their seventh consecutive losing record. But ahead of the 2025 campaign, owner Arthur Blank issued a wide-sweeping vote of confidence in his franchise personnel, from the front office to the coaching staff and roster.

The first year of the Raheem Morris era brought a slight step forward as the Falcons flirted with the .500 mark and logged eight wins — their most since that last playoff berth. Morris has a year of head coaching experience under his belt after more than a decade since his last full-time gig, Michael Penix Jr. showed flashes at quarterback down the stretch and a defensive-heavy class of draft picks could help Atlanta reconstruct a unit that left a lot to be desired last fall.

“We’re in a better place now, team wise, coaching wise, totally across the board than we’ve been in a number of years,” Blank said Saturday at training camp.

Could a Year 2 leap be in store for the Falcons as Morris hits his stride at the helm? A lot hinges on the franchise’s young core. Penix elevated the offense when he took over the starting duties in Week 16 but is still mostly unproven as a pro signal-caller. Running back Bijan Robinson could ease some of the pressure on Penix as a rising superstar and one of the most productive ballcarriers and receiving backs in the NFL.

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The more pressing issues are on defense, where the Falcons ranked 23rd in both points and yards allowed last year. Blank and his front office used their first four draft picks on defensive players, including a pair of first-rounders in linebacker Jalon Walker and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. Safeties Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. bring heaps of upside, too, to the defensive backfield.

“I definitely think we have the right people,” Blank said. “I think they continue to demonstrate that, I think, during this offseason and how they built during free agency and particularly decisions … in the draft. And I think continuing to reflect on the coaching staff, making some changes on the coaching staff. And if the emperor has no clothes, you’ve got to say the emperor has no clothes. And I think our leadership team has done that, and I think that’ll make us better.”

This may not yet be a do-or-die season for Morris as he remains early in his tenure. But the Falcons undoubtedly want to see improvement after yet another losing season. Blank is outwardly confident in the staff and roster he constructed for 2025, but that tone could change if the enticing pieces fail to mesh and deliver a long-awaited step forward.