Former NFL Player Makes Bold Arthur Smith Statement

Former NFL Player Ross Tucker has made a bold claim about Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.

Arthur Smith is in his first year as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are Smith's first job as a head coach of any team in the NFL. 

The rookie head coach has led the Falcons to a 6-7 record after Atlanta posted a 4-12 record last season, their third straight losing season.

Former NFL Player Ross Tucker thinks the work Smith has done with the Falcons has flown under the radar.

This tweet will get eviscerated but I feel like Arthur Smith should at least get mentioned in the Coach of the Year discussion.

6-7 with that roster and no Ridley is really impressive.

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) December 12, 2021

"This tweet will get eviscerated but I feel like Arthur Smith should at least get mentioned in the Coach of the Year discussion," wrote Tucker on Twitter. "6-7 with that roster and no Ridley is really impressive."

From a personnel standpoint, the Falcons got demonstratively worse in 2021.

The Falcons lost receiver Julio Jones and veteran center Alex Mack on offense, safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen on defense before the season. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley left the team on Halloween and had just 281 yards receiving in five games before he left, and starting cornerback Isaiah Oliver was lost for the season in Week 4.

Every NFL team loses key players, but the Falcons had no room to maneuver under the salary cap and were forced to bargain shop in the free-agent market.

One of the big hits in free agency by new general manager Terry Fontenot was all-purpose running back Cordarrelle Patterson.

Patterson has been the team's MVP on just $3 million this season. On Sunday he became the oldest player in NFL history with five rushing touchdowns, five receiving touchdowns, and 500 yards each rushing and receiving in a single season... and there's four more games to go.

Cordarrelle Patterson has surpassed Marshall Faulk (2001) as the oldest player in NFL history to have…

500+ rushing yards
5+ rushing touchdowns
500+ receiving yards
5+ receiving touchdowns

in a single season. pic.twitter.com/CgfVFqvflp

— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) December 13, 2021

The Falcons have gaping holes on the offensive and defensive lines, wide receiver, and in the secondary, but after 14 weeks, they're still in the playoff hunt.

Will Arthur Smith win NFL Coach of the Year with the Falcons in 2021?

Likely not, but as Tucker said, he should at least be in the conversation.