Arthur Smith fired: 5 replacements Falcons should hire in a hurry

3. Falcons can hire Lions OC Ben Johnson

There is an understandable desire to pivot away from the offensive-minded Smith, but the Falcons should still consider hiring another offense-first head coach. Ben Johnson is particularly interesting. The 37-year-old has been widely hailed as the next 'young genius' set to join the likes of Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, and Brandon Staley in the NFL head coaching ranks. The latter proves the potential volatility of betting on inexperienced but undeniably bright minds.

Johnson has been the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator for two years now. He has completely revamped the system, shepherding Jared Goff to the doorstep of stardom and leading Detroit (in concert with Dan Campbell) to consecutive winning seasons. The Lions claimed the No. 3 seed in the NFL this season at 12-5. If it weren't for a referee blunder in Week 17, Detroit may very well have claimed the No. 1 spot.

The Lions' offense ranked third in total yards per game (394.8) and second in passing yards (258.9) in 2023. Goff is talented, but he's hardly an elite QB. Johnson was able to maximize the weapons at his disposal — primarily a young WR-TE combo in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. It won't be hard for the Falcons to see appealing parallels with their own roster.

Johnson is young, but he has coached in the NFL since 2012. He has essentially been coaching football since he left college. The Falcons would face stiff competition. It's difficult to imagine Johnson going this entire offseason cycle without landing a promotion. Even so, Atlanta has the personnel to appeal to Johnson if the financial package is lucrative enough.