Titans Fire Coach Vrabel:  Will Falcons Ex-Coach Arthur Smith Replace Him?

While “Black Monday” saw the first coaching changes of this cycle, the Tennessee Titans provided the first shocker of the offseason when they fired coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday.

Vrabel went 54-45 over his six seasons in Tennessee, posting a winning record three times and earning Coach of the Year honors in 2021. Revered as one of the best coaches in the league not too long ago, Vrabel’s departure goes to show how quickly things can change in the NFL.

With Vrabel’s firing, an interesting possibility has arisen. Could the Titans pursue recently-fired Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith to fill their new coaching vacancy?

Remember, Smith came to Atlanta after two years as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, a role he excelled in. The Titans ranked 10th in points for and 12th in yards for in 2019, then improved to fourth in scoring and second in yards in 2020. Since Smith left, the Titans’ offense hasn’t come close to hitting those same marks, even finishing this season 27th in scoring and 28th in yards.

Granted, there are plenty of other factors that go into those statistics. Most importantly, Smith’s Titans ran a very run-heavy offense behind the dominant Derrick Henry, who almost certainly won’t be back in Tennessee as he’s now 30 and set to hit free agency. If Smith were to return to Tennessee, he would likely have to build a more pass-centric scheme around quarterback Will Levis as the Titans look to get the most out of the 2023 second-round pick.

There’s also the fact that Smith’s tenure in Atlanta was less-than stellar. The Falcons finished each of their three seasons under Smith with a 7-10 record, picking at No. 8 overall each time.

Atlanta dealt with subpar quarterback play during that stretch as well, but Smith’s stubbornness in using his top skill players like tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson certainly got on people’s nerves.

Smith’s return to Tennessee would certainly be interesting, and the fact that some Titans outlets have mentioned the possibility does add some validity to it.