The Falcons announced on January 10th that the Ring of Honor member Matt Ryan will be the team's President of Football. Things got emotional for the former player as he sat down with the CBS team before the Bills vs. Jaguars playoff game.

"I think that's difficult to deal with and you know, when I left I was so lucky to be given the opportunity by David Burson and by CBS to become a part of this team," said Rayn.

"My first year was, you know? With a crew on the road and we were calling games and when you're out on the road calling games, you become a team and a group and sort of a traveling circus," he added.

Matt Ryan thanked the crew and said that over the past two years, they had become like his team, and that support had helped him a lot because it wasn’t easy, and he added that former players, coaches, and others in that space could all understand what that meant.

Ryan officially announced his retirement from the NFL on April 22, 2024, after a 15-year career, but he had already started working with CBS Sports as an NFL analyst in May 2023. He worked as a color and game analyst on CBS’s live NFL game broadcasts, offering expert breakdowns.

The former quarterback also appeared as a studio analyst on The NFL Today, CBS’s flagship NFL pre-game show, especially after longtime analysts Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason departed. The Falcons legend thanked his CBS teammates for making it better for him and making him realize life after football.

"Again, to be able to get back into that environment in the organization... I'm excited about that, but I love you guys... I love everybody who's back here. Everybody who's a part of it behind that that no one can see. This is the best group that you could be a part of. I think we do it better than anybody else on air," he concluded.

Matt Ryan is just the start of the big change the Falcons are bringing

The Falcons finished the 2025 NFL season with an 8–9 record, placing third in the NFC South and missing the playoffs. Although they closed the year with a four-game winning streak, the late surge came too late, as they lost a division tiebreaker for a postseason spot.

The result extended Atlanta’s playoff drought to eight consecutive seasons. As a result, they have fired head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot. Now, new names are being discussed for future HCs.

So far, the Falcons have interviewed Klint Kubiak (Offensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks), Anthony Weaver (Defensive Coordinator, Miami Dolphins), and Aden Durde (Defensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks). Who would you like to see as the new HC of Atlanta?

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi