How will Falcons players respond for Arthur Smith amid job security questions

Arthur Smith seems to be coaching for his job over the Falcons’ final three contests.

Atlanta is riding a two-game losing streak coming against a pair of division rivals with the latter coming against the worst team in football — the 1-12 Panthers. It prompted questions about Smith’s job security, and Arthur Blank finally spoke on the subject.

When asked about the future of Arthur Smith, Blank said, “We’re gonna play these last three games; we play ’em to win ’em. And we’ll let the season play out and go from there. Obviously this has not been the kind of year we expected.”

I think an important note in all of this is Blank’s circumstances and reluctance to go through an entire regime change after just three seasons. I imagine searching for a head coach and general manager is draining, especially for an 81-year-old owner.

Moreover, it’s clear that Blank is fond of Smith, much like he was of his predecessors, Dan Quinn and Mike Smith. Jim Mora, on the other hand, didn’t fall into the circle of trust, which is understandable because Mora went on a radio segment and said the Washington gig was his dream job as the current head coach of the Falcons.

However, Blank cannot overlook a total collapse, and the one way that will come to fruition is if Smith loses the locker room. Up until this point, Falcons players have consistently backed their head coach, even after the demoralizing loss to the Panthers.

“I think Art is a phenomenal coach,” Calais Campbell said in the locker room after Sunday’s loss. Nobody has more cache than the 37-year-old veteran, and Campbell’s message didn’t stop there. The 16-year veteran went even further to praise his head coach.

Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire