Raheem Morris remains a top head coach candidate in next cycle

Will Raheem Morris finally get a head coach position this offseason?

After Thanksgiving is when NFL teams begin to look towards the future, especially if they are out of the hunt and failing to meet expectations. That always leads to taking a look at Sean McVay’s coach staff as teams have poached from the Los Angeles Rams over the past few seasons.

One of the popular choices remains defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. The Athletic’s Mike Jones listed 12 candidates for the 2024 coaching cycle and despite a defense that has been up and down due to youth on the roster, Morris was on the list. Here’s what Jones had to say,

“The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Atlanta Falcons interim head coach and longtime defensive coordinator helped the Rams win the Super Bowl to cap the 2021 season and has drawn interest from teams in recent years. He’s expected to again interview for positions this offseason.”

Morris should once again be heavily involved in head coach interviews. Him being hired, however, will depend on the number of openings. As it stands, the Las Vegas Raiders are the only team will an opening. With that said, there will be several others that open up over the next two months.

It’s very possible that the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, and Carolina Panthers part ways with Brandon Staley, Ron Rivera and Frank Reich. There could also be some surprise openings such as the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Atlanta Falcons.

There are a few downsides when it comes to Morris getting a head coach job in this cycle. For starters, the Rams defense currently doesn’t rank in the top half of the league. There is something to be said about what he has done with the cards that he has been dealt, but it is it head coach worthy? The Rams may not be a playoff team. It’s unusual for coaches from non-playoff teams to get hired.

Additionally, teams look more towards the offensive side of the ball. Morris is a defensive coordinator and he may not even be the most popular defensive coordinator in this cycle. Ejiro Evero from the Panthers will certainly be talked about as a candidate as well as Dan Quinn from the Dallas Cowboys, Mike Macdonld of the Baltimore Ravens, and potentially Steve Wilks in San Francisco.

Morris’ name will certainly come up during the interview process. He was one of the finalists for the Indianapolis Colts job last season. The question is just how serious will those interviews be?