Atlanta has undoubtedly been a tough bunch under Smith, consistently exceeding expectations set for a cap-strapped, rebuilding team. Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot made the difficult decision to move on from Matt Ryan last season and understood they’d have to patch together a quarterback room for the 2022 season, turning to Marcus Mariota and drafting Desmond Ridder in the third round.
The results were, well, not exactly stellar. A 7-10 finish saw the Falcons end in a three-way tie for runner-up to the division-champion Buccaneers in what was one of the NFL’s worst divisions in 2022. But considering where the Falcons’ roster stood entering 2022, Atlanta could see the season as a relative success. At the very least, it was a building block toward a brighter future.
Bringing in a player like Campbell — a seasoned veteran with six Pro Bowls and a place on the All-Decade Team for the 2010s to his name — is what a young Falcons team needed. Campbell can provide leadership by example and direction to a team that should benefit from his experience.
From Campbell’s perspective, Atlanta’s sales pitch to him was quite enticing.
“One of the other things I liked about it a lot was because they said my role would be playing true D-end, playing on the edge on first and second down, which was very appealing,” Campbell explained. “That Cam Jordan kind of role.”
Campbell added: “Arthur Smith said he wanted a violent D-line, and I can bring a lot of violence, that’s for sure.”