Former NFL MVP and CBS Sports Analyst Matt Ryan was named the Atlanta Falcon's President of Football on Jan. 10, 2026.
Ryan oversees all aspects of Falcons football for the organization, including oversight of the head coach and general manager positions, reporting directly to Atlanta Falcons Owner and Chairman Arthur M. Blank while collaborating with Falcons President and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure alignment of the entire business and football areas of the organization.
Following his 15-year playing career in the NFL, Ryan studied the league at both a micro and macro level as a game and studio analyst for CBS over three years. Ryan served as a game analyst alongside Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and A.J. Ross in 2023 before transitioning to studio analyst on THE NFL TODAY with James Brown, Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson. With nearly two decades of experience in and around NFL football, Ryan garnered an understanding of how sustainable, successful organizations are constructed and operated.
Ryan spent 14 seasons in Atlanta, leading the Falcons to the postseason five times including two NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance. He set franchise records for career passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73). Ryan also set a litany of single-game and single-season records during his time with the Falcons. He led Atlanta to a 120-102 (.541) regular season record and missed just three games over his career with the club.
Selected with the third-overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Boston College, Ryan was named offensive rookie of the year by both the Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America. He also garnered rookie of the year honors from The Sporting News.
Ryan's best season came in 2016 when he earned first-team All-Pro honors after leading the Falcons to the club's second NFC title and a Super Bowl appearance. He became the first player in team history to be selected as NFL MVP and was also named offensive player of the year by the Associated Press.
From 2011 to 2020, Ryan strung together 10 straight seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards. Ryan also threw at least 20 touchdowns in each of his final 13 seasons in Atlanta, the third-longest streak in league history. He finished his Falcons career with the eighth-most passing yards in NFL history and the most passing yards by a player in their first 14 seasons in league annals with 59,735.
Ryan's impact extended beyond the field as he was named the Falcons Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2016 for his community service activities. Ryan developed a special bond with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta during his time with the Falcons raising funds for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center through his celebrity-am golf tournament and other activities. Ryan raised awareness for "Miracle Babies" at Atlanta's Northside Hospital and the March of Dimes after he and his wife's twin boys were born prematurely and spent extended time in the neonatal intensive care unit.
In 2020, Ryan and his wife, Sarah, launched ATL: Advance the Lives with a mission to alleviate structural barriers to Black youth success and combat systemic barriers Black youth face by partnering with out-of-school time programs and local organizations to build long-term community engagement. The Ryan's raised $1.3 million through their initial GoFundMe campaign and continue to strive towards making meaningful and sustainable impact on the community. Ryan, Sarah, and their three sons reside in metro Atlanta.
