It took no time at all for “Black Monday” to get officially started.
Falcons Dismiss Head Coach Smith – The Atlanta Falcons relieved coach Arthur Smith of his duties. The ousting took place just after midnight eastern time, several hours after a 41-17 blowout loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. He had been with the organization for three seasons.
“The Atlanta Falcons have dismissed Arthur Smith as the team’s head coach following a meeting Sunday night in Atlanta with Falcons Owner and Chairman, Arthur M. Blank, and the team’s CEO, Rich McKay,” the statement reads.
“We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years,” said Blank in the statement. “He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations.
“We have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position,” he continued, with the Falcons stating that the search for a new head coach will commence “immediately.”
Smith became the Falcons head coach on January 15, 2021. During his tenure, the Falcons finished 7-10 in each of his three seasons. He completes his tenure in Atlanta with an overall record of 21-30.
The Falcons will not waste any time scouring for a new head coach. It will be spearheaded by Blank and McKay, with input from Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot, and a number of other appropriate members of Blank’s Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports and Entertainment organizations. There is no concrete timeline for filling the role.
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Commanders Fire Coach Rivera – River boat Ron was in a canoe without a paddle. As widely expected around NFL circles, the Washington Commanders decided to part ways with head coach Ron Rivera on Monday morning. Rivera’s future with the organization appeared to be all but over some time ago, but the Commanders ended the season under his leadership, mired in a league-worst eight-game losing streak to finish at 4-13, and they went 26-40-1 in his four years at the helm, making the playoffs once, where they lost to the eventual champion Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. The Commanders never advanced any further. They went 7-10 in 2021, 8-8-1 in 2022 and 2023 was even worse at 4-13.
Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris has hired two well-known and experienced executives, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers who led them to four titles and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, to assist his ownership group with searches for a new head of football operations and head coach, team officials told ESPN.
In a statement, Harris thanked Rivera, calling him a “good man” and “thoughtful leader” but noting that “the results this season were not good enough, and a strategic shift in leadership and approach is necessary.
“To deliver upon our ultimate goal of becoming an elite franchise and consistently competing for the Super Bowl, there is a lot to do, and first we must establish a strong organizational infrastructure led by the industry’s best and most talented individuals. As such, we will conduct a thorough search process to ensure we find the right candidates to guide this franchise forward.”
Rivera has been through trials both personally and professionally while in the nations capital. He went through a highly public battle with cancer and also the saga involving former own Daniel Snyder, involving workplace mismanagement and sexual harassment.
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Panthers Fire GM Fitterer – The Carolina Panthers completed their trifecta, cleaning house Monday morning, firing GM Scott Fitterer six weeks after head coach Frank Reich was shown the door, along with quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.
“As we move forward with the new direction for our franchise, I have made the decision that Scott Fitterer will no longer serve as our general manager,” owner David Tepper said in a statement. “I appreciate Scott’s efforts and wish the best for him and his family.”
Even with capturing the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft quarterback Bryce Young out of the University of Alabama, the Panthers finished with a NFL-worst 2-15 record. However, they gave away the lion’s share of their draft capital in a trade with the Chicago Bears and will not be selecting first in this year’s draft because Fitterer traded that choice, along with wide receiver DJ Moore and other resources.
Fitterer’s past three first-round picks have been bust so far. Besides Young, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu who was taken No. 6 overall, was responsible for giving up more sacks (19) than any other offensive lineman this past season, and cornerback Jaycee Horn, No. 8 in 2021, has been bitten by the injury bug, has missed more than 30 games the past three years.
