The Atlanta Falcons fell to the New Orleans Saints in Week 18 to eliminate themselves from playoff contention and drop to 7-10 for the season, and reports are indicating that the franchise will be parting ways with head coach Arthur Smith after three seasons.
Smith’s Falcons teams have now failed to reach the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. He has been widely criticized for his use of top draft picks, including running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts.
Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reports that owner Arthur Blank is unhappy with Smith. Following the disappointing finish to the 2023 season, Smith could be fired at any point in the coming days.
Sources to @BleacherReport: There has been a growing belief in the last two weeks that #Falcons HC Arthur Smith was in trouble if the team collapsed.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 7, 2024
Owner Arthur Blank has not been happy with the performance. After last week’s performance and the way today ended, sources… https://t.co/uwwptGvbqz pic.twitter.com/3Kk5gjz70x
The 41-year-old Smith spent most of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans before landing his first NFL head coaching job with the Falcons in 2021, taking over from Dan Quinn and his interim Raheem Morris. Smith’s Falcons teams are 21-30, with an exact three-way split over the three seasons of 7-10 records.
Update – The Falcons fired Arthur Smith on Monday, according to NFL Media.
