The Atlanta Falcons have produced just one winning season since their Super Bowl run back in 2016. The team returned to the playoffs in 2017 and won a wild-card game before going on a six-year postseason drought.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank dismissed former head coach Dan Quinn five games into the 2020 season and eventually selected Arthur Smith as his replacement in the 2021 offseason. After Smith finished 7-10 for a third consecutive year, Blank again opted for a coaching change.
There were seven total head coaches hired during the 2021 NFL offseason. Let’s examine each of the seven coaching hires three years later.
Dan Campbell - Lions (2021-Present)
Dan Campbell’s “knee cap” speech during his opening press conference wasn’t received well by many around the league initially, and the Lions went just 3-13-1 during his first year in Detroit. However, Campbell quickly got things turned in the right direction and the Lions posted their first winning season since 2017 in just his second year. In Year 3, Campbell has the Lions within striking distance of the NFC Championship, somewhere they haven’t been since 1991.
Many took Campbell as a joke upon his arrival in Detroit, but he has put the team in a position to have success for years to come. For the first time since 1971, the Lions produced a top-five scoring offense in back-to-back seasons.
Overall Record: 24-26-1
Nick Sirianni - Eagles (2021-Present)
Like Campbell, Nick Sirianni’s opening press conference left some around the NFL scratching their heads. The Eagles head coach would prove most of his naysayers wrong, taking the team to the playoffs for three straight years. In 2022, the team made it to the Super Bowl and went toe to toe with the Chiefs in a close game.
Sirianni is getting some heat for the team’s late-season collapse and upset loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round, but he’s shown enough overall to stick around for another year.
Overall Record: 34-17
Robert Saleh - Jets (2021-Present)
The Jets had high hopes for the 2023 season but they evaporated in Week 1 when Aaron Rodgers stumbled upon a season-ending injury. Rodgers’ torn Achilles threw a wrench in New York’s plans and the team was forced to turn to Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle at quarterback. However, Saleh has elevated the defense and helped develop the Jets’ young talent.
Saleh’s job should be safe until we see what he can do with a healthy Rodgers in 2024.
Overall Record: 18-33
Brandon Staley - Chargers (2021-2023)
The Chargers looked as if they made the right choice early on with Brandon Staley as he brought them to the cusp of the playoffs in his first season with rookie quarterback Justin Herbert at the helm. However, there were issues with Staley’s game management which were highlighted during the team’s loss to the Raiders in the 2021 season finale with the division on the line.
In Year 2, Staley led the Chargers to 10 wins before the team choked away a lead to Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars in the playoffs. After suffering a 63-21 loss to the Raiders in Week 15 of the 2023 season, the front office had enough.
Overall Record: 24-24
Urban Meyer - Jaguars (2021)
Falcons fans of old would rightfully be reminded of the worst hire in franchise history when Arthur Blank brought in Bobby Petrino in 2007. The Jaguars took a page out of their book by bringing in Urban Meyer in 2021 and by association, brought in a toxic work environment. Just like Petrino, Meyer lasted only 13 games before a combination of locker room issues, off-the-field controversies, kicking players, and overall poor product on the field cost him his job.
Overall Record: 2-11
David Culley - Texans (2021)
David Culley only spent one season with the Houston Texans before he was fired by general manager Nick Caserio. During his lone season, Culley didn’t do much with the Texans, as you would expect given the situation he was walking into. Houston ranked dead last in offense and next to last on defense in Culley’s in 2021. Throw in the off-the-field issues with former Texans QB Deshaun Watson and Culley was doomed from the start.
Overall Record: 4-13
Arthur Smith (2021-2023)
Smith did some good things initially and he didn’t leave the team in terrible shape by any means. The former Titans offensive coordinator simply failed to take the Falcons to the next level. The team just couldn’t find a quarterback to replace Matt Ryan and it was unclear what direction Atlanta was headed after three years. The Falcons fired Smith just a few hours after their blowout loss to the Saints in the season finale.
Overall Record: 21-30
