When the Falcons fired Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot retained his title as general manager.

During the hiring process, it became clear that there was an internal force opposing the hiring of Bill Belichick, leading most to believe that Falcons executives, including Fontenot and Rich McKay, cared about themselves and not the franchise.

Ultimately, everyone was able to keep their jobs because Arthur Blank and the search committee landed on Raheem Morris, who was obviously OK with leaving the front office intact.

Fast forward to the present, and Terry Fontenot’s seat should be warming. The Falcons general manager should be held accountable for the lack of a pass rush in Atlanta. Sure, we can credit him for signing Jessie Bates and Kirk Cousins, but give me $250 million to spend, and I can hand the two top free agents at their respective positions to market value deals. It’s the bare minimum.

You don’t get points if you do the bare minimum. Meanwhile, the Falcons general manager has devoted resources to the pass rush, and there has been virtually no improvement. Fontenot deserves the lion’s share of the blame for the lack of pass rush.

Let’s dig.

Whether through the draft or free agency, Fontenot has had no success in any area. When it comes to the NFL Draft, the Falcons have spent eight picks on defensive linemen, including five top-100 picks. These rookies have zero sacks in eight games in 2024 and have totaled just 16.5 sacks in their career with the Falcons.

This is unacceptable and personal professional achievements have been equally disappointing. The best free agent signings during his tenure – Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree – walked last offseason, while Lorenzo Carter and James Smith-Williams have done virtually nothing this year.

The most notable acquisition was that of Matthew Judon. The veteran was acquired from the Patriots in exchange for a third-round pick and has not lived up to expectations. Judon totaled 1.5 sacks and five pressures in eight games, according to Pro Football Reference. The veteran had 4.0 sacks and 11 pressures in just four games last year with the Patriots before a season-ending injury. Judon is literally producing half the pace he had last year in twice as many games.

The Falcons haven’t had a consistent pass rush in forever, and Terry Fontenot has had four years to do something about it. On the contrary, the situation has gotten worse. At some point, someone has to be held accountable.

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Photographer: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire