The Atlanta Falcons are actively searching for their president of football after Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank announced on Jan. 5 that the position would be created amid an organizational restructure.
"The leader in this new role will set the vision and identity for our team," Blank wrote in a letter shared with fans. "Our new head coach and general manager will report to the new president of football, and they will work collaboratively as a football leadership team on all football decisions. Final decision-making authority will rest with the president of football."
Updates on completed interviews for the position will be provided on AtlantaFalcons.com.
Atlanta has completed interviews with the following individuals:
The Falcons have officially completed an interview with Matt Ryan for the position.
Current role: Ryan has been an analyst for CBS Sports since retiring from the NFL in the spring of 2024. The former MVP quarterback has made appearances on podcasts, CBS studio shows as well as dipped his toes in the water of announcing responsibilities, most recently for Netflix's Christmas Day games. Ryan has remained steadfast in his connection with the Atlanta Falcons organization and broader Atlanta community over the last year as well.
Resume highlights:
- Ryan was inducted into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor in early October 2024 after 14 seasons with the organization, leading the franchise to multiple playoff appearances and a Super Bowl run. Ryan received the NFL MVP award and Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2016. Ryan was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2016 and a four-time Pro Bowl selection during his career.
- During his playing days, Ryan became the fastest player to reach 40,000 passing yards, having done so in just 151 games.
- Ryan has the fourth-most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history.
- Owns the franchise records for career passing yards (55,767), career pass attempts (7,443), career completions (4,867), career touchdowns (347), career passer rating (94.5), career completion percentage (65.4), and career 300-yard games (69).
Local connection: It goes without saying Ryan is connected to the Atlanta Falcons, as arguably the most decorated player in franchise history. Personally, though, he and his wife, Sarah, along with their three sons, have called Atlanta home for much of the last 18 years since Ryan was drafted by the Falcons in 2008.
Ryan and his family have continued to give back to the Atlanta community even after Ryan's retirement. The Ryan couple founded the "ATL: Advance the Lives" non-profit organization in 2020. Its mission is "to alleviate the structural barriers to Black youth success by working with after-school programs to increase the social capital of Black youth and their families."
This is one of many causes the Ryan family has supported in their efforts to give back to the city of Atlanta.
Why he's a candidate: Ryan's maturation as a trusted voice and leader has only grown since his playing days. Within the last year, Ryan's role as an analyst and media member has allowed him to expand his purview of the NFL business. Through conversations with other organizations and reported connections made, Ryan has a much broader scope of the professional football landscape, which could be exceptionally beneficial in the president of football role.
Ryan's football acumen is highly respected, too. Having the perspective of a former franchise quarterback in the room where football decisions are made could go a long way.
What's more, Ryan's personal relationship with Blank could make the transition of adding this position, which will report directly to the Falcons' owner, to the organizational structure smooth. The new head coach and general manager will report to the president of football.
