Falcons coach Arthur Smith is already facing intense scrutiny entering the final weeks of the season, as Atlanta begins to fade from the playoff picture. While ESPN reported last week that Smith was likely to be retained in 2024, comments by owner Arthur Blank indicated Smith's status is anything but guaranteed as the end of the season nears.
Now, the NFL is adding insult to injury for the embattled coach.
The league fined both the Falcons and Smith on Friday, handing down punishments after an investigation into the team's use of the injury report leading up to a game in October.
The Falcons have lost back-to-back games, including an ugly 9-7 defeat at the hands of the dismal Panthers. A team fine might not break the bank, but it adds to a string of disappointments and embarrassments for the franchise as potential changes loom.
Here's what you need to know about why the Falcons and Smith were fined by the NFL.
Why were the Falcons fined by the NFL?
The NFL fined the Falcons $75,000 and Smith $25,000 for violating the league's injury report rules in Week 7. The violation was in relation to RB Bijan Robinson, who was used sparingly in Atlanta's game against the Buccaneers despite entering the game with no injury-report designation.
Source: The #Falcons have been fined $75,000 and head coach Arthur Smith $25,000 for violating the NFL Injury Report Policy prior to the club’s Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 22, 2023
When asked at halftime whether Robinson was dealing with an injury, Smith said the rookie wasn't feeling well. He said after the game that Robinson was dealing with a headache, and the rookie clarified that he first started feeling symptoms the night before the game but held out hope he could handle a full workload. Robinson wound up with one carry in 11 snaps.
The Falcons were criticised for not including Robinson on the injury report leading up to the game, sparking an NFL investigation. It's not entirely uncommon for the league to look into potential injury-report violations — the Bengals were investigated and later cleared after Joe Burrow was spotted wearing a sleeve or brace on his hand a day before he suffered a season-ending wrist injury — but the Falcons were not as fortunate.
In an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" after the debacle, Smith dismissed rumours that Robinson was benched, labelling the idea that Robinson broke any rules "so absurd."
Smith told reporters on Friday that the NFL's investigation "wasn't a contentious battle" and admitted there was a "lesson learned" from the process.
"I understood their point of view, so lesson learned there," Smith said. "It was a good conversation, and there are probably a lot of conversations that are going to be had in the spring. That's where we ended it."
Head coach Arthur Smith responds to reports of NFL fine for violating the NFL Injury Report Policy prior to the Falcons Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/J7u8427Cor
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) December 22, 2023
Whether Smith lasts in Atlanta until the spring remains to be seen. His usage of Robinson has been questioned throughout the season, which is one reason there was initially so much focus on the rookie's limited snaps in Week 7.
Robinson saw his snap total dip to 30 against the Panthers, his fewest this season outside of the Week 7 game, and there doesn't appear to be an injury or illness that can explain away that unusual decision by Smith.
