Nobody is happy in Atlanta right now. Falcons fans, coaches, players, and the owner aren’t satisfied with where the team currently sits.
The Falcons very well could end up with a 7-10 record and the 8th overall pick, putting them in the same position they’ve been in 2021 and 2022, which would be a tremendous disappointment after the investment in the roster this offseason.
The stadium is empty and the club’s top 10 draft picks continue to be underutilized. Like I said, nobody is happy with the product on the field, including a veteran.
Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the most highly respected presences in the locker room, retweeted a post that said, “It’s crazy how little we saw Cordarrelle Patterson this year. Arthur Smith didn’t use him creatively at all, and listed him as “Joker” on the depth chart. The joke was on all of us.”
It prompted many to speculate whether there was an internal shift in Flowery Branch because our friend at Fox 5 Miles Garrett noticed and posted a screenshot of the retweet, which Patterson replied to asking, “Should I be happy?”
At Wednesday’s press conference, Arthur Smith addressed the disgruntled Patterson, chalking it up to a ball player just wanting the ball more.
When asked about this by @mikerothstein, Arthur Smith says he doesn’t live his life through a screen and has “real human conversations” with Cordarrelle Patterson despite what might be posted online.
Went on to say he only has a problem with players who don’t want the ball. https://t.co/nWNJ1PyVPL pic.twitter.com/WocF4fTYZ1
— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) January 3, 2024
I do think fans probably blew this out of proportion, but this isn’t a nothing burger. If the Falcons were winning, Cordarrelle Patterson wouldn’t be taking to social media to voice his frustrations. He’d just swallow them. Though I don’t think the locker room is turning on Arthur Smith, the confidence in their head coach has surely waned.
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Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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