Report: Falcons HC Arthur Smith 'Was Thought to Be Safe,' Needs Strong End to Season

The recent struggles for the Atlanta Falcons have suddenly left Arthur Smith's future as head coach very unclear.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, Smith "was thought to be safe" earlier this season, but the Falcons need "strong performances all over the field in the remaining weeks of the season" to prove definitively to owner Arthur Blank he's the right person for the job.

Blank said on Georgia Public Broadcasting on Tuesday he was going to let this season play out before making any decisions about the coaching staff.

Frustration has been mounting for the Falcons in recent weeks, culminating with their 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 15. They have dropped five of their last seven games after a 4-3 start to the season.

Among the issues that have plagued Atlanta are Smith's inability to make sure the offensive playmakers are getting the ball. Kyle Pitts has 942 receiving yards in 24 games over the past two seasons since racking up 1,026 yards as a rookie in 2021.

Bijan Robinson, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has been on the field for fewer than 80 percent of the offensive snaps in 13 of 14 games. He only played 30 snaps against the Panthers.

The decision to commit to Desmond Ridder as the quarterback hasn't paid off. His 16 turnovers are tied for second-most in the NFL, with six of them coming inside the red zone.

Ridder has been benched for the second time this season. Smith announced earlier this week that Taylor Heinicke will start the final three games of the regular season.

The Falcons went from having the third-best rushing attack in the NFL by yards per game in 2022 to ninth this season, despite investing a top-10 pick in a running back.

Despite all of the issues, the Falcons (6-8) are only one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) for the top spot in the NFC South.

Atlanta finishes the season with games against the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.

Smith was hired by the Falcons in January 2021 after he spent the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. He has a 20-28 record in 48 games with Atlanta.