When the Atlanta Falcons fired Arthur Smith after the 2023 season, their head coaching vacancy was perceived to be among the most desirable in the NFL. The Falcons boasted three explosive young weapons in Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London, and were picking inside the top 10 of one of the best quarterback classes in recent memory.
You would think the Dirty Birds would be able to land an up-and-comer in coaching circles in hopes of ending the playoff drought. They scheduled interviews with candidates like Mike Vrabel, Mike Macdonald, Ben Johnson, and Jim Harbaugh, but passed on all four of them for a worse alternative.