Falcons Rumors on Antonio Pierce, Updates on HC Search After Matt Ryan Hire

The Atlanta Falcons have interviewed Antonio Pierce for their vacant head coaching job, the team announced Friday.

After interviewing with the New York Giants last week, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday that the former Las Vegas Raiders head coach would meet with Matt Ryan and the Falcons in person this week.

Pierce, who played linebacker for Washington from 2001 to 2004 and for New York from 2005 to 2009, cut his teeth for a few years at Arizona State before landing his first NFL job with the Raiders in 2022.

He was Las Vegas' linebackers coach for two seasons before taking over as interim head coach in 2023 following Josh McDaniels' firing. He was then named head coach for the 2024 campaign, but was fired after the Raiders went 4-13 in his first season at the helm.

In his year away from coaching, Pierce has served as an analyst for CBS Sports' Sunday pregame show, where he worked alongside Ryan, who was hired as the Falcons' president of football last week.

Before the Falcons hired Raheem Morris in 2024, they reportedly were interested in Pierce.

While Pierce may be in the mix again this time around, he may not be the favorite. Former Baltimore Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh has garnered interest from seemingly every team with an opening, and the Falcons are no different.

Atlanta announced earlier this week that it had completed an interview with Harbaugh, though that meeting was just over the phone rather than in person.

It seems likely that no team, including the Falcons, will fill their head coaching vacancy until Harbaugh decides where he'll coach next year, but perhaps Pierce will impress Atlanta enough later this week to become the team's new favorite over Harbaugh.