The Atlanta Falcons have seen a pair of assistants on the defensive side of the ball depart, losing passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg to the Browns and now assistant head coach on the defensive side of the ball Jerry Gray to the 49ers. Rutenberg left to be the defensive coordinator in Cleveland, while Gray will reunite with ex-Falcons head coach Raheem Morris in a defensive backs coach role in San Francisco.
Both feel like significant losses for the defense. Gray joined Atlanta in 2023 under Arthur Smith and Ryan Nielsen and helped the Falcons pull together quality pass defenses in two of his three years here, including last year with Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator. Despite having to work with three different coordinators, Gray was an experienced, stabilizing force for the defense, especially the secondary. It’s easy to see why Morris was eager to poach him, especially since he’s joining a San Francisco team that has cycled defensive coaches in recent years.
Gray and Rutenberg, who had key roles with this team’s pass defense, are probably not going to be easily replaced. I mentioned that secondary coach Justin Hood, who the Falcons blocked from interviewing for at least one other position, would be a strong bet to fill Rutenberg’s shoes as passing game coordinator and am fairly convinced that’s a role he’ll end up getting. It’s less clear whether Gray’s direct role as assistant head coach for the defense will be filled, but the Falcons undoubtedly will try to add more experience to the staff regardless of the title.
We wish Gray well except for those occasions where the Falcons play the 49ers, and we’ll see how the Falcons choose to fill the void left by his departure.