Justin Fields has Lamar Jackson to thank for his draft pedigree, going 11th overall to the Bears the same year Arthur Smith took over as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The following season, Smith’s Falcons took on a rookie Fields and had the better of it. Not only did Atlanta win, Smith got in some choice comments, as Fields recalls of his current offensive coordinator.
“Arthur [Smith], he’s great. Before I got here, I’ve just known him as a competitor,” Fields said on the Not Just Football podcast. But, he advised, “He’s a trash talker,” adding that he would be “talking crazy” to him during games.