Arthur Smith Reveals Eddie Goldman Status; Retiring Again?

The Atlanta Falcons are excited about the return of defensive lineman Eddie Goldman ... but his comeback may be short-lived.

Coach Arthur Smith spoke to reporters Friday and cast doubt on whether Goldman would actually follow through on his return.

"There’s a possibility," Smith said via The Athletic's Josh Kendall regarding Goldman's return. "He looked phenomenal when he showed up the other day, but you never know what somebody is going through. We’ll have a final answer by tomorrow."

Arguably the most pleasant surprise of the Falcons offseason was the return of defensive lineman Eddie Goldman.

The Falcons removed Goldman from the reserve/retired list in March, just eight months after he decided he didn't want to play with Atlanta.

Goldman is back with the Falcons on a one-year deal and Atlanta is happy to have him ... should he want to play.

“With Eddie, we are excited,” Smith said. “Eddie is a guy that we had some familiarity with. Talking to Eddie last summer, he signed his contract and then decided that he didn’t want to play. So, we put him (on) the reserve/retired list.”

Goldman spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears after being selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. A former top recruit out of Florida State, Goldman has recorded 175 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 81 games.

Now, he's looking to add on to those numbers with the Falcons.

If Goldman is part of Atlanta's plans, the Falcons defensive line looks a lot more promising. The team is bringing back Grady Jarrett and signing veterans David Onyemata and Calais Campbell to improve what has been one of the worst defensive lines in the league past few years.