The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith just a few minutes into Black Monday and held a press conference to discuss the coaching change later that day.
Well, owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay held a press conference. General manager Terry Fontenot was nowhere to be found.
92.9 The Game’s Carl Dukes of the Audacy original podcast “In The Huddle” sounded off on Fontenot, one of the NFL’s five black GMs, being marginalized in such an important moment for the franchise.
“The Falcons had this press conference. Rich McKay was there. Arthur Blank was there. The guy that was not there was Terry Fontenot. He’s currently the general manager, that is his title,” Dukes said. “There are five black general managers in the NFL right now, three of them – Andrew Berry’s Browns are going to the playoffs, Omar Khan’s Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the playoffs, Chris Grier’s Miami Dolphins are going to the playoffs – and the point is these guys have come in, they’ve team built, they’ve hired, they’ve created the atmosphere and a winning culture and they’re general managers.
“They’re being allowed to do the job and it needs to be said that in the NFL it’s not just about hiring a black general manager, it’s about allowing them to do the job.”
While Berry, Khan, and Grier have found different levels of success with their franchises, Fontenot is still looking for that after being hired in January of 2021. And the Falcons may not be giving him the same opportunities.
“Terry Fontenot was marginalized. He was minimalized by not being at this press conference and Rich McKay taking all the questions that the general manager should’ve been answering. It was despicable,” Dukes continued. “The bigger thing, for me, is they’ve said now after this presser in Atlanta that he’s going to be a big part of the decisions that will be made. Bulls–t.
“You cannot tell me that he’s going to do all the work and lead up to these interviews and all these things you’re telling us he’s going to be a part of and then not have the decision-making power.”
The general manager not being present at the Falcons press conference definitely raised some eyebrows and could be a precursor for what’s to come.
“You’ve minimalized the general manager and we know he’s not going to be involved in any of this. So whoever you bring in next just understand who’s making that decision. Whoever the next guy is and the quarterback and all those things that will play out, the trickle-down, understand where that’s coming from,” Dukes said. “That is what I got from (Monday’s) presser.
“It’s upsetting because we’ve talked so long about the NFL and hiring practices when it comes to coaches, specifically front office folks, they created all of these necessities that teams have to do. You go hire one and then you minimalize and marginalize his responsibilities by saying ‘You don’t need to be at the press conference. We just fired our coach, we’re looking for another one, you’re good. Just be up in Flowery Branch and handle the other business that we have going on.’ Unbelievable.”
Fontenot spent nearly 20 years in the New Orleans Saints organization as a pro scout, director of pro scouting, and finally assistant GM in 2020 before joining the Falcons. He may be looking for another new job soon if Monday’s press conference was a sign of things to come.