On one hand, the San Francisco 49ers had to be thrilled the Atlanta Falcons opted to fire head coach Raheem Morris after a frustrating conclusion to the 2025 season.
After all, it gave head coach Kyle Shanahan a golden opportunity to reunite with one of his coaching favorites, and it didn't take long for the Niners to announce Morris as their new defensive coordinator, replacing now-Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh.
Morris has to be excited, too, inheriting a Saleh-molded defense that still managed to be effective a year ago despite injuries, a league-low 20 sacks and few turnovers, meaning the former will have every opportunity to put his own fingerprints on that side of the ball entering 2026.
And Morris will hope few other chances stand out more than San Francisco's Week 7 game.
With the 2026 regular-season schedule now released, Morris and the 49ers will travel to take on the Falcons on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Raheem Morris' grudge match vs. Falcons is a prime NFL schedule storyline for 49ers
Not since the days of the Falcons being in the NFC West (why was this ever a thing in the first place?) have the two teams been true rivals.
However, that changes slightly with Morris' return to Atlanta where he served as head coach for two years, 2024 and 2025. Additionally, Shanahan's own former connections with the Falcons will be talked about, but it'll be Morris who draws the bulk of attention when Week 7 rolls around.
Understandably, Atlanta has plenty of optimism surrounding new head coach Kevin Stefanski and his arrival from the Cleveland Browns, and much of that centers on delivering better outcomes than what Morris showcased during his two-year stint.
On the other hand, though, Morris would love nothing more than to "stick it" to his former squad and show the Falcons they made a mistake in dismissing him.
While there are plenty of other higher-profile games on the Niners schedule, Week 7 figures to be just as juicy, thanks to Morris wanting an ax to grind.
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