Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff says 'of course' he's on the hot seat
The Falcons have missed the playoffs in three straight seasons
By
Jared Dubin
•
1 min read
Thomas Dimitroff has been the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons since 2008. Since he took over, Atlanta has a record of 74-54, good for a 0.578 winning percentage that is eighth-best in the NFL. That record is backed up by Atlanta's point differential -- the Falcons have outscored their opponents by 270 points during Dimitroff's tenure, ninth-best in the league.
More recent seasons have not been quite as kind to the Falcons, though. After making the playoffs during four of the first five seasons of Dimitroff's reign, Atlanta has sat out the postseason the last three years. The Falcons' combined record of 18-30 since 2013 ranks 26th in the NFL, and their -132 point differential ranks 24th. Though they have improved their record in each of the last two seasons, Dimitroff knows that his time is running short.
"Of course I'm on the hot seat," Dimitroff said, per the Talk of Fame Network. "Every year I'm on the hot seat. I believe that 100 percent. I believe anyone who doesn't think they are maybe just won a Super Bowl. But I think most of us know that it's a very urgent league now."
General managers typically don't survive a coach firing followed by two more years of not making the playoffs, and that's what Dimitroff is looking at if Atlanta falls short again this year. He fired Mike Smith and replaced him with former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn prior to last season.
With an offense based around Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Julio Jones, the Falcons should be able to score. The questions again come on the defensive side of the ball, but that's Quinn's speciality. We'll see if he can elevate them to a level commensurate with a playoff team.
