The Arthur Smith era is over in Atlanta after three seasons.
The Falcons fired the head coach late Sunday night after missing the postseason for the sixth consecutive season — the third under Smith — the team announced.
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement, following a meeting with team CEO Rich McKay in which they decided to dismiss Smith. “We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
A search for the team’s new head coach will begin immediately, per the statement, with Blank, McKay leading the way “with input” from general manger Terry Fontenot, among others. Thusly, Fontenot would seem to be safe, as noted by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.
The phrasing of the statement regarding Fontenot’s “input” coupled with him not accompanying Blank and McKay to Monday’s news conference drew questions. Blank underscored that Fontenot was in the building Monday and his role would remain the same overseeing personnel.
“If you look at a traditional table of organization, they both report to Rich McKay,” Blank said of the head coach and Fontenot. “We’ve been clear about that. So that hasn’t changed. It’s kind of, Rich represents Terry up here today. Again, we’re trying to divide and conquer. Just be respectful of that. It has nothing to do with Terry personally.”
In that respect, it was underscored Monday that Fontenot’s role had not been diminished and he will continue to report to the CEO, as will whomever the next head coach is.
“Arthur Smith did not report to Terry,” McKay said. “And we didn’t set it up that way. We didn’t want it that way. We wanted a partnership where there could be a shared vision and get us what we thought we needed on the personnel side. And I think we achieved it. We’re definitely in a better place than we were three years ago based on their collaboration. Today, as we see it, we see the same setup. We don’t see the coach reporting to Terry. But Terry will have that same role of being in charge of personnel. Will it be 50-50? That’s our thought going in. Could change.”
Smith finishes his three-year tenure with a 21-30 record. The Falcons finished under .500 in each campaign, going 7-10 each year.
After parting ways with Dan Quinn in 2020, Atlanta hired Smith in 2021, believing the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator’s run-oriented system and efficient passing attack could boost the Falcons back into the playoffs.
Alas, it never coalesced for the Falcons, as Smith couldn’t find consistency at quarterback.
In Smith’s first season, an aging Matt Ryan led an offense that struggled to move the ball while Atlanta’s defense continued to get shredded. In 2021, the Falcons’ offense ranked 29th in yards and 26th in points.
In 2022, Atlanta signed Marcus Mariota, who played under Smith in Tennessee. The mobile quarterback helped boost the Falcons’ rushing attack, leading the league in attempts and finishing third in rushing yards. But Mariota’s struggles as a passer sank their playoff chances before Smith turned to rookie Desmond Ridder to close the lost season.
Smith insisted from the offseason’s onset that Ridder would be the club’s starter. Things began swimmingly to open the 2023 campaign, with the Falcons getting off to a 2-0 start. But Ridder hit sizable rough patches, highlighted by a trove of turnovers, ultimately leading to a benching in Week 9. Smith continued to flip-flop his starting quarterbacks down the stretch, with Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke offering consistency.
Throughout his tenure, Smith was heavily criticized for how the Falcons used highly drafted weapons. Atlanta used top-10 picks on tight end Kyle Pitts (No. 4 overall in 2021), receiver Drake London (No. 8 overall in 2022) and running back Bijan Robinson (No. 8 overall in 2023). Despite the talent, Atlanta’s offense struggled to find consistency and lacked big plays in the passing game. Ultimately, the struggles at quarterback doomed Smith.
Even as the investments on defense in 2023 turned the unit from moribund into a top-10 unit in scoring D for the first time since 2017, the Falcons still finished outside looking in due to the offensive issues, including disastrous turnovers and some poorly managed coaching situations.
The Falcons lost four of their final five games to close Smith’s tenure, including Sunday’s defeat to rival New Orleans.
Pivoting to 2024, the Falcons have some talent in place. They still have young playmakers on offense and pieces on defense, like Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates. But the key for the next coach to break the streak of playoff futility will be what direction the club takes at the quarterback position. Same as it ever was.
