The Atlanta Falcons are set for a Week 7 homecoming with former head coach Raheem Morris coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the first time since the two parted ways in January. 

Morris, who is now the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, spent the last two seasons with the Falcons. While he ultimately missed the playoffs in both years, he laid the groundwork for this 2026 team’s makeup. His first year at the helm was marked by signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative free-agent deal, then drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick just a few months later. 

That strategy didn't go as planned, and it marked an inauspicious start to two roller-coaster seasons in Atlanta before he was fired in January alongside general manager Terry Fontenot. 

Some floated the idea that Morris could hold on for one more season after he rallied the Falcons to four straight (albeit meaningless) wins to end the year. Instead, he finished 16-18 overall, and Arthur Blank took the organization in a new direction. 

The NFL is a business, and the 49ers will be looking to go about their business this Sunday, but could there be a little added motivation for San Francisco? Not likely, says 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan when he was asked this week about the defense’s desire to “win this game” for their defensive coordinator.

“I don’t think they can be more motivated,” Shanahan said. “I think our guys are as motivated as they can get each week. I don’t think they get too caught up in that stuff, but I know they care about Raheem a lot and definitely would want to do that for him, but I don’t think we’re looking at too much of a personal game like that.” 

All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner echoed Shanahan's perspective, emphasizing that the 49ers approach every game with the same level of urgency.

“I feel like we treat every week as if it is the biggest week of our lives,” Warner said. “To play with even more emotion than what we play with already would be – I’m not even sure about what that would look like at this point, right? But every week has its own challenges. I’m sure Raheem wants this one in a big way because he was the former head coach there. We want it in the biggest way, as the 49ers, because this is the next one.”  

The former Falcons head coach wasn't directly asked about his feelings on returning to Atlanta for the first time since being fired, but he said it is “helpful” to understand the makeup of the players in that locker room. 

But in typical Morris fashion, he did pour out a lot of love for his former players. 

“Love the kid, you know, love everything about him: the personality, who he was, the thrower,” Morris said about Penix. “He's back healthy, and he's everything that you thought and hoped for. As far as being a play-action passer, he can push the ball down the field and can make all the throws, and go through the whole process. He’s just one of those guys that I have a lot of appreciation for and love for.” 

As for running back Bijan Robinson, whom he called “the best player in football” last season, the praise remained. 

“I talked about Bijan last year – I talked about him being the best player in the NFL, and he certainly is, arguably, the best player in the National Football League,” Morris said. “He's special. He's one of those guys. He's as special a talent that we see in this league and can do everything.” 

It appears to be business as usual for Morris and the 49ers. The former head coach may be on the opposite sideline Sunday, but his appreciation for the players he coached in Atlanta hasn't changed. Whether that familiarity gives San Francisco an edge remains to be seen.

Shanahan and Warner made it clear that the 49ers plan to approach this matchup the same way they do every other week. On Sunday, Morris will find out if that appreciation translates to a defensive game plan that can stop his former team.