Russell Wilson, Justin Fields to Atlanta Falcons was a Reality

The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation could have been much different.

The Atlanta Falcons could have added quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson if they hadn't fired head coach Arthur Smith. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The course of the Atlanta Falcons' 2024 offseason changed just hours after it started.

Shortly upon arriving home following a 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 18, the Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith, starting the domino effect of an eventful spring headlined by the hiring of Raheem Morris.

Atlanta, which had been plagued by both short- and long-term quarterback questions during Smith's tenure, overhauled the position both on the field and in the meeting rooms.

Most notably, the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract and drafted his successor, Michael Penix Jr., at No. 8 overall, giving the franchise a clear course of action under center for both the present and future.

But what if Atlanta didn't fire Smith? According to Denver-stationed NFL insider Ben Allbright, the Falcons' quarterback picture would look much different - with Russell Wilson being the likely starting signal caller in Atlanta.

"I guarantee that would happen," Allbright said on the Fantasy Football Metrics podcast about Wilson being the Falcons' quarterback if Smith wasn't fired. "And probably would have Justin Fields as his backup there as well."

Instead, the Falcons parted ways with Smith, who went 7-10 in each of his three seasons at the helm. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Smith as their offensive coordinator this spring, and they subsequently added both Wilson and Fields, formerly the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

And according to Allbright, momentum around a pairing of Smith and Wilson started long before pen hit paper.

"There was some backchanneling going on with Arthur Smith, who was then with the Falcons," Allbright said about Wilson's late-season, contractually related benching. "That would kind of, sort of, be how that shook out.

"Russ and his team wanted Arthur Smith as their guy."

Essentially, there's a world where the Falcons had Wilson as their answer in 2024 and turned to Fields as a longer-term play thereafter - but it's not this one. Instead, it's the reality Pittsburgh is facing, while Atlanta - led by Morris - has Cousins and Penix in those roles.

And by all accounts, the Falcons, with five weeks before the start of training camp, feel they're in a better place now than they otherwise would be.