The Falcons already had to replace Dean Pees as coordinator, which resulted in wholesale changes to the supporting staff on that side of the ball, with Ryan Nielsen and Jerry Gray spearheading the defense. Now, Arthur Smith will have to find a new quarterbacks coach as Charles London heads to Tennessee to be the Titans’ pass game coordinator.
The #Titans have promoted Passing Game Coordinator Tim Kelly to Offensive Coordinator.
They also hired Falcons QB coach Charles London as Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks. He was just an OC at the Senior Bowl.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 7, 2023
Todd Downing, who replaced Arthur Smith in Tennessee, was fired following the Titans’ season finale loss. Mike Vrabel had to make a change.
London most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Senior Bowl in Mobile but also interviewed for the offensive coordinator position on Vrabel’s staff. The pair actually spent time together in Tennessee and Houston. In 2023, London will serve under Tim Kelly. It’s a great opportunity for London to have a more prominent voice in what the offense will be doing.
Charles London has overseen the quarterback room for the Falcons over the past two years, which has featured Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen, A.J. McCarron, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Feleipe Franks. London actually interviewed for the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator last offseason but was passed over in favor of Frank Smith.
Arthur Smith will now have a pivotal hire ahead of him. A team’s head coach has an impact on developing a young quarterback, but his position coach sees him intimately every single day. Developing Desmond Ridder should be one of the Falcons’ top priorities, and his quarterback coach plays a considerable role in that.
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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