One day after the Atlanta Falcons named Matt Ryan their first president of football, new details emerge on the role's candidates, Ryan's transition from CBS broadcasting, and his authority over GM and head coach searches amid the team's playoff drought.
Franchise icon Matt Ryan's appointment as the Atlanta Falcons' inaugural president of football, announced Saturday by owner Arthur Blank, continues to reshape the front office after an 8-9 season and firings of head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot.
As previously reported, the 2016 NFL MVP—who set Falcons records with nearly 60,000 passing yards and 367 TDs over 14 seasons—holds final decision-making power. New hires will report to him, with the GM positioned as a secondary executive under NFL rules, which may impact interviews with playoff teams.
Atlanta had interviewed four candidates for Ryan's role: Carolina's Brandt Tilis, Detroit's Mike Disner, San Francisco's Josh Williams, and Chicago's Ian Cunningham. Some could transition to GM contention. Potential HC targets include names like Kevin Stefanski and Klint Kubiak.
Ryan, 40, retired after 2022 with the Colts and joined CBS in 2023, contributing to 'The NFL Today' in 2024-25. His last broadcast airs this Sunday. "I've always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home," Ryan said.
Blank lauded Ryan's "leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive." The move bucks trends in a busy NFL carousel—including firings of Baltimore's John Harbaugh and Miami's Mike McDaniel—and aims to end the Falcons' eight-year playoff drought.