The Falcons have requested an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
League rules require that the interview take place by the end of the wild-card round, giving Atlanta until Monday to complete their first formal meeting with Durde. A team announcement has since confirmed the virtual interview took place on Saturday.
The Falcons are the second team to express interest in Durde. The Browns conducted their interview with the 46-year-old on Friday as they continue their process to replace Kevin Stefanski.
Finding a successor for Raheem Morris appears to be quite a different task. Cleveland seems to be headed towards another rebuild, especially on offense, while Atlanta has a bevy of young playmakers on both sides of the ball. While Michael Penix‘s future as a franchise quarterback remains unclear, the Falcons have several undeniable stars who clearly have the potential to grow into a serious playoff team. It is also possible that playing in the NFC South – where a division winner has not finished better than 10-7 since 2021 – could offer additional appeal.
Still, hiring Durde as a head coach after just two years in a coordinator role and no play-calling experience seems like a risk. The Falcons may be trying to feel him out for a defensive coordinator role under their eventual head coach hire, as they cannot interview any Seahawks or Broncos coaches after Monday, until their teams are eliminated.