The Falcons pulled in a big name at defensive coordinator. And they did not just pull him out of the names of hot coaches. They pulled him out of retirement.
Dean Pees, a veteran defensive coordinator with stops with the New England Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens, and most recently the Tennessee Titans, is returning to the game to help turn around the Atlanta Falcons’ problematic defense. Pees, who worked with current head coach Arthur Smith, has decades of experience coaching up top defenses.
As it turns out, there was competition for the then-retired coach.