What Does Anthony Firkser Bring To Falcons Offense?
Anthony Firkser doesn't consider himself a perfect a tight end in the slightest. He's always trying to learn something new each practice to better his craft.
Firkser, who signed a one-year deal this offseason with the Atlanta Falcons, might be ahead of the curve compared to most free agents. He understands the ins and outs of coach Arthur Smith's offense thanks to his time with the Tennessee Titans. He also has worked with 12 personnel sets with a similar tight end that mirrors the style of play of second-year pro Kyle Pitts.
“I’m learning from Firk,” Pitts said last week following a Falcons’ practice. “Firk has been in this for some years, and I’m just always wanting to get better. So, he’s been in Tennessee playing a different offense."
Undrafted out of Harvard in 2017, Firkser bounced around the league for a season before eventually landing in Tennessee. In his brief stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, he learned from Pro Bowler Travis Kelce. With the New York Jets, he battled with Austin Seferian-Jenkins for a shot to make the active roster.
Both left a certain impact on his career that helped transition to his play with the Titans in 2018. Soon enough, Firkser would go from being a core special teamer to full-fledged starter when running a two tight end set. Last season, he became the go-to tight end in the passing attack, recording 34 receptions, 291 yards and two touchdowns.
Firkser's best season came in 2020 when Smith still served as the Titans' offensive coordinator. He tallied 39 catches for 387 yards and averaged 9.8 yards per catch. Perhaps that was one of the reason he elected to sign with Atlanta in the offseason following his release from Tennessee.
Smith said that Firkser's energy would be welcomed to his offense in Atlanta. He also is pleased with his experience in a young position room and leadership.
“He’s a guy that has been fun to work with. I’m happy to work with him again,” Smith said. “He’s been with me now in three different roles: tight-end coach, offensive coordinator and now head coach, so he can kind of come fill in the blanks sometimes, so we are happy to have him.”
Atlanta has slightly turned into a Tennessee pipeline this offseason. Six players who played for the Nashville franchise during Smith's tenure elected to sign with the Falcons this offseason. Firkser was the latest to join, stating how the familiar of the roster played a factor into his decision.
"It’s good to get to reconnect with them,” Firkser said. “Marcus (Mariota), Rashaan (Evans) ... they signed (Cameron) Batson and Beau Brinkley. It’s good seeing old faces, and all the guys with the Falcons have been welcoming, so it’s been enjoyable to be around this team.”
Several players will fight to make the final 53-man roster. Firkser likely isn't one them. The Falcons are expecting to adapt more this year to Smith's tight end heavy formation, meaning Firkser should take over for the hole left by Hayden Hurst.
The hope is that the duo can duplicate similar results to that of the 2020 Titans' tight ends in the passing attack. That season, current New England Patriots' standout Jonnu Smith shined with 41 catches for 448 yards and eight touchdowns.
Firkser should produce numbers that matched his totals the past two season. The expectation is for Pitts to only build his rookie campaign in which he tallied 68 catches, 1,026 yards, and one touchdown.
One thing Firkser has over the Pro Bowl tight end is experience. He intends to use it in the huddle to mentor Pitts and others as Atlanta looks to turn the corner by the end of the regular season.
"Having that experience and knowledge of seeing these plays and how they played out against defenses and against schemes, I could help give a couple of pointers of something that I see that could help the younger guys out,” Firkser said.
