Much of the conversation surrounding Arthur Smith’s job security down the stretch surrounded a “late season collapse” as the only way the Falcons would fire him.
Well, an embarrassing loss to the Panthers and a face-palming defeat in the finale against the Saints seemingly sealed Smith’s fate. Shortly after the end of the season, Arthur Blank relieved him of his duties.
In the press conference to follow, the Falcons owner and Rich McKay had nothing but great things to say about the former head coach while also alluding to the locker room still supporting him up until his final moments in Atlanta.
A lot of Falcons players’ comments suggested the same too. Jonnu Smith, Calais Campbell, and others voiced their support for Arthur Smith. That may not accurately reflect how the entire 53-man roster felt, though.
In the NFLPA’s annual team report cards, Arthur Smith received the third-worst overall grade among head coaches, earning a C+ grade.
C+ (30TH)Only 67% of players feel that former head coach Arthur Smith was efficient with their time (30th overall)
Players feel that former head coach Arthur Smith was somewhat willing to listen to the locker room (30th overall)
1,706 of the league’s players provided information, so the entire Falcons team was theoretically surveyed. These results paint a much different picture of Arthur Smith than Falcons fans were led to believe. For the most part, we all thought that his players loved him up until his final moments in Atlanta. It seems that isn’t necessarily accurate.
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Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
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