5 long-term Arthur Smith-Falcons replacements to save Bijan Robinson
By John Buhler
Over the last two-and-a-half seasons at the helm of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Smith's team has been mediocre. They have been the epitome of a 7-10 team, good enough to regularly beat the dreck of the league, but never quite good enough to put a winning streak together. The upper crust of the NFL has been out of reach for the Dirty Birds for the better part of a decade now. This is getting old.
In total transparency, this is the NFL franchise I root for, and I would not move off Smith this season. This is the first year he and general manager Terry Fontenot have had financial capital to actively participate in NFL free agency. The defense is much improved this year under new coordinator Ryan Nielsen coming over from New Orleans, yet Smith's offense has largely stagnated under his watch.
This may have more to do with him not having a franchise quarterback. Matt Ryan was running on fumes when he first arrived in 2021. Marcus Mariota is a reckless backup who lives to turn the ball over. Desmond Ridder seems like a good guy, but he has a very low ceiling. Taylor Heinicke is fun to watch and easy to root for, but even the local product is not going to win playoff games in The ATL.
So for the sake of the young offensive talent this underperforming team possesses, whether it be third-year pro tight end Kyle Pitts, second-year pro wide receiver Drake London, or rookie running back Bijan Robinson, let's say Falcons owner Arthur Blank pulls the plug on the Smith era at the end of the season... Here are five offensive minds who I think could do a fine job leading the Dirty Birds.
Atlanta Falcons: 5 potential replacements for Arthur Smith as head coach
5. Shane Waldron has been key in Seattle Seahawks staying afloat of late
Admittedly, I think Arthur Blank will be reticent to hire another coordinator from the Seattle Seahawks under Pete Carroll after how the Dan Quinn era went up in flames in Flowery Branch. However, the job that Shane Waldron has done offensively in the Pacific Northwest does not get the attention it probably deserves. He had Geno Smith starting playoff games for the Seahawks, for crying out loud?!
Give Smith a ton of credit for totally redeeming himself in Seattle, but Waldron may be the straw that stirs the drink over there. Over the last two offseason cycles, Waldron's name has started to come up in serious head-coaching conversations. Although he still may be a year away from being a year away, he does seem to run a balanced offense that uses all parts of the field. Atlanta could use that...
To me, I think the Quinn wrinkle in all this probably keeps Waldron from being a real serious candidate to replace Smith should he fail this season. However, if Smith gets one more year to prove himself and Waldron stays put in Seattle for another campaign, it would not shock me to see him come to Flowery Branch to lead the Falcons in 2025. Either way, I expect that Waldron will be a serious candidate soon.
Waldron is also a candidate to replace Carroll from within, should he decide that he wants to retire.