Atlanta Falcons 2022 Motto: Take it on the Chin

The Atlanta Falcons will take it on the chin in the upcoming season. That’s according to general manager, Terry Fontenot and head coach, Arthur Smith. Both Falcons’ brass used the phrase during a media conference addressing the record dead cap hit, Matt Ryan’s trade to the Colts, the failed Deshaun Watson acquisition, and Calvin Ridley’s suspension. The phrase, take it on the chin, certainly doesn’t have the same feeling as the team’s slogan Rise Up, but it’s more fitting given the situation.

"“We’re taking it on the chin this year, but taking it on the chin this year, and now you look at where we are next year, it’s significant.” Terry Fontenot"

Fontenot said the phrase four times; Smith repeated it once during the 39-minute availability. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the phrase means: to be badly damaged or affected by something. To be hit hard by something. To accept something difficult or unpleasant without complaining.

The general manager and head coach could not have found a better saying when talking about the Falcons’ dead money. Teams get $208.2 million to spend in 2022, the Falcons are spending $62.097 (nearly 30 percent) on dead money. Matt Ryan’s hit is $40.525 million, Julio Jones costs $15.5 million, Dante Fowler is $4.667 million, and Tyeler Davison wraps it up with $1.213M.

Falcons were Handcuffed Last Season

This difficult decision is a year overdue. Fontenot said he didn’t want to restructure Ryan’s contract last season. “We didn’t want to do anything with Matt Ryan’s contract last year, but we were handcuffed, we had to fill the football team, and it would’ve been the same thing this year,” said Fontenot. He continued, “we’re taking it on the chin this year, but taking it on the chin this year, and now you look at where we are next year, it’s significant. With this, you take it on the chin this year.

Fontenot said it’s up to the entire staff to find value players and draft a stellar group to create a competitive team, “even with that dead cap. It’s an obstacle, but we look at it as an opportunity, and that’s our job. We’re not making excuses about it. But, us deciding to take it on the chin right now makes a significant difference for us next year and the future.”

Falcons Got out of Limbo

In case that wasn’t enough of the new phrase, Smith repeated it one more time when describing the situation, “where we are at, our charge it to win a championship… we don’t want to be stuck in this limbo. So, yeah, you do have to make some moves sometimes; like Terry said, you take it on the chin a little bit with that money.”

The traditional slogan, Rise Up, may be more fitting this season than ever before. This team will need every player and staff member to step up and fill in for the missing $60 million worth of talent sitting in the dead cap space. Plus, Rise Up looks better on a t-shirt, than take it on the chin.