Sad news: The Atlanta Falcons have just Fired one of their best players
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith has resigned, the team announced late Sunday night. The club lost badly to the division foe, the New Orleans Saints, in back-to-back weeks, and then to the Chicago Bears, who needed to close the season with a strong record.
After the Saints game, the postgame coaches’ handshake turned into a venting session when Smith reprimanded New Orleans coach Dennis Allen for a phony kneeldown score at the conclusion of the game (a move for which Allen would subsequently issue an apology).
Smith’s temper was once again fodder for social media, even though his rage was well-founded. While Smith showed flashes of brilliance while in Atlanta, he was unable to achieve the kind of sustained success and public command that owner Arthur Blank had hoped for when he signed Smith to a six-year contract in 2021.
It’s debatable if Blank and general manager Terry Fontenot gave him the right resources to accomplish that, specifically a quarterback.
However, anyone speculating about the Falcons’ potential next move should find some context in the timing and circumstances surrounding Smith’s dismissal.
It appeared just a few weeks ago that Blank was happy to let his long-term rebuilding plan, which included sitting out the last season of Matt Ryan’s contract and keeping his crippling dead-cap charge of more than $40 million, run its course. The owner, who will turn 82 early in 2024, now appears to be aiming for a quicker fix to break the team’s current losing streak of six seasons.
The coaching carousel for 2024 is somewhat unique. There isn’t much of an offensive coordinator pipeline outside of Ben Johnson (Lions), Frank Smith (Dolphins), Dave Canales (Buccaneers), and Brian Callahan (Bengals). The pool of imaginative playcallers needs time to refill after years of overhiring.
Dan Quinn of the Cowboys and Raheem Morris of the Rams, who was the interim head coach of the Falcons and a previous head coach of the Falcons, are two of the best prospects for defensive coordinator.
Thus, it made more sense to hang onto their coach and ride out the haze for a lot of teams, including the Falcons. That is, unless they were eager to work with one of the big names on the scene this year.
