NFL exec sees Falcons as good fit for Justin Fields

The thought around Arthur Smith’s job security has ping-ponged back and forth since a report surfaced that barring a late-season collapse, he’d be back coaching the Falcons in 2024.

A total embarrassment of a loss to the 1-12 Panthers provoked many to assume his job was lost. Then, the Falcons drummed the Colts in the most impressive win of the season, prompting some to think he’d saved his job, at least that’s what a report suggested. 

But that meaningless victory, as far as playoffs are concerned, was short-lived. The Falcons traveled to Chicago and were embarrassed by Justin Fields and the Bears. It’s been the story of the 2023 season — some good, a lot of bad.

I always thought that Arthur Smith would be back in 2024 because of just how poor Atlanta’s quarterback play has been. Moreover, the locker room has seemingly backed him at every waking moment, but that might not be the case anymore.

Smith might be losing the locker room, as Cordarrelle Patterson voices his frustration with his role. It’s actually made it plausible that Arthur Blank moves off his head coach this offseason. Regardless of who is coaching this football team, the Falcons will be in the market for a quarterback.

There are a few different avenues the club can take, and I think a lot has to do with who is coaching the team. Instead of playing the what-if game, I’ll just present a couple of options.

Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels are the top prospects that could be available in the draft. Michael Peniz, J.J. McCarthy, and Box Nix could also find themselves as late first-round options. Free agency is filled with three 35-year-old options in Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, and Russell Wilson.

The trade market is also an option. The most attractive target is going to be Justin Fields, and if Arthur Smith is in the building, the fit on paper is seamless, as one NFL executive pointed out.

“If you want to build an offense in a certain way around [Fields], then it can work behind a good offensive line and a dual-threat running game,” an AFC executive said. “And he can make plays with his arm strength, for sure.”

One AFC executive sees Atlanta as a good fit for Fields, who he believes would thrive in a system with designed quarterback runs, or one inspired by the Gary Kubiak coaching tree that creates off play-action. Falcons coach Arthur Smith was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator during Ryan Tannehill‘s best stretch as an NFL quarterback. While Fields has superior physical tools to Tannehill, both can be schemed in similar ways as mobile players with plus arm strength.

“If you have to throw the ball 35 times a game with Fields, then you might run into challenges,” the exec said. “But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have success with him and that he can’t win throwing the ball. He just needs the right offense and support system.”

The Falcons should try to reset with a rookie quarterback, but they could do much worse than Justin Fields, who would provide Atlanta with a dynamic, high-upside quarterback that could finally revive the starving city of Atlanta.

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Photographer: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire