After missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, the Atlanta Falcons fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.
Lake, 48, was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator for one season after he served as the Los Angeles Rams’ assistant head coach in 2023. He was the University of Washington’s head coach from 2020-21.
Rodgers, 48, also had just completed his first season on the Falcons’ staff. He has been an NFL assistant coach since 2009 and was with the Los Angeles Chargers the previous three seasons.
“After a thorough evaluation of the season, and with careful consideration for our team’s future, we deemed these moves necessary,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said in a statement. “These decisions are never easy from the human side of things and we wish Jimmy, Jay and their families the best.”
The Falcons were 23rd in the NFL with 345.2 yards and 24.9 points allowed per game this past season.
Atlanta finished 8-9, including 4-5 at home, and ended the regular season in second place in the NFC South.
