Despite the nonstop drama around the Atlanta Falcons' backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, this offseason has provided every reason for excitement. Michael Penix Jr. appears to be the true franchise quarterback the Falcons have been missing since pushing Matt Ryan out.
A big piece of this decision was the ego of former Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith. After breathing life back into the career of Ryan Tannehill with the Titans, there was a misguided belief that Smith could make it work with anything close to a capable signal-caller. This pushed Matt Ryan out and brought in two years of misery with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.
Still, the head coach remained respected enough that former players would follow him to his next landing spot as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator. One year later and things are poised to implode after the Steelers jettisoned Justin Fields and Russell Wilson for an ancient Aaron Rodgers. Pairing these two egos together is as hilarious a grouping as you can imagine. There simply is no way that this ends well for either side.
Former Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith Destined for 2025 Failure
Atlanta fans aren't going to be sad to see things go sideways in Pittsburgh, with a lot of anger still directed at how Smith managed his time in Atlanta. Still, it is hard not to have a vested interest in such a unique pairing. Rodgers has become a shell of what he once was while turning up his off-the-field comments by a thousand. The former Packers star is more of a personality than he is a reliable producer at this stage of his career.
All of this sets the stage for the reality show that will be the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 season. Smith will have a starring role in this, unquestionably leading to frustration with his star quarterback and a battle that is going to help the team's demise. It is impossible to believe that the way the veteran quarterback wants to play is going to mesh with Smith's strict system.
Rodgers is likely entering his final season and should have walked away at the end of 2024. Still, at least the poor decision sets up an entertaining finale with a certain former Atlanta coach set to co-star.