Falcons Coach Arthur Smith 'Excited' About DT Eddie Goldman

Eddie Goldman hasn't played a snap of football since 2021, but his return to the game for Atlanta could make an impact for Arthur Smith's team.

Eddie Goldman, the 29-year-old Falcons nose tackle and former retiree, has yet to play a snap for the Atlanta Falcons, but head coach Arthur Smith is thrilled that Goldman is still with the team.

Forgoing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and retiring just 13 days after originally signing with Atlanta in July of 2022, Goldman has played just 14 NFL games since 2019, all for Chicago in 2021.

But following his reinstatement into the NFL in March of this year, the 6-4, 336-pound Goldman could make a splash for the Falcons, at least according to his head coach.

"It's no different than players that missed the '20 season, guys that get an injury early in the season - there's a return-to-play plan," Smith said. "We've been in contact with Eddie; if we didn't trust Eddie, we wouldn't have kept him."

At the same time, there's a progression of trust that comes from welcoming a player who hasn't suited up in over a year.

"We're excited, but we've got to make sure we're smart about the return to play," Smith continued. "When you've missed that much amount of time, you can't go, all of a sudden expect to play 100 plays the first practice of training camp, so there's a progression there... We'll be smart with Eddie, but we're excited that he's still here."

Goldman logged a sack and 22 tackles in 14 games for the Bears two seasons ago, but his role with the Falcons after his year-long hiatus remains to be seen.

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