NFL Media: ‘Surprise’ If Falcons Move On From HC Arthur Smith

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero write it would be a surprise at this point if the Falcons decided to move on from HC Arthur Smith.

However, he notes owner Arthur Blank has left the door open to the possibility, and it will depend on how Atlanta finishes out its final two games. 

If the 7-8 Falcons continue their late-season collapse, it’s possible Blank could feel spurred to make changes. He recently addressed the coaching situation in an interview with Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Jeff Hullinger. 

“We are committed to coach Smith,” Blank said. “We are going to play these last three games; we are committed to win. We will let the season play out and go from there. Obviously, this has not been the kind of year we expected; you would hear that from coach Smith, you would hear it from our fans and our players. We understand that; we understand the challenges. At the end of the year, we will assess where we are and go from there.”

The Falcons were a popular pick to take a step forward after two straight 7-10 seasons under Smith as they navigated a tight cap situation. They finally had money to spend to upgrade the defense this past offseason. 

While that side of the ball has taken a step forward, the Falcons overall have struggled to take command of an underwhelming NFC South.

Smith, 41, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Carolina back in 2006. From there, he worked for Washington for two years before being hired as an administrative assistant/defensive intern at Ole Miss in 2010.

The Titans hired Smith as a defensive assistant/quality control coach a year later and he worked his way to TEs coach in 2015. Tennessee promoted him to offensive coordinator after Matt LaFleur accepted the Packers’ HC job.

After Smith found success in that role, the Falcons hired him as their head coach in 2021. 

In three seasons in Atlanta, Smith has a record of 21-28 with no playoff appearances. 

We’ll have more on the Falcons’ coaching situation as the news is available.