In his final appearance on “The NFL Today,” outgoing CBS Sports NFL analyst and former quarterback Matt Ryan spoke about his desire to reshape the Atlanta Falcons into a contender after accepting the franchise’s new position of president of football.
Atlanta hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season — when Ryan was still quarterbacking. The Falcons say that Ryan will “oversee all aspects of football for the organization,” and that both the head coach and general manager, when hired, will report to him.
“You want to be in the mix, in the playoffs, and it’s been too long there,” Ryan said on Sunday’s show. “We’re going to work really hard and find the right people to get us back into that position to be successful. You guys know it, football is about the people. The building is about the people, there’s a lot of really good people in that building that are already there. It starts at the top with Arthur Blank and I’m fortunate to be in this position, excited about the opportunity and ready to get started.”
The former NFL MVP served as a game analyst for one season with CBS Sports before transitioning to the studio on “The NFL Today” for the last two years. It’s nearly impossible to decline a “President of Football” gig, but at the same time it wasn’t easy for Ryan to walk away from his current role.
Ryan said that when he retired following the 2023 season there was a void that was created by leaving the game and no longer having teammates or that sense of belonging. Ryan spoke from the heart about the difficulty that can take place in filling that space, but Ryan expressed gratitude for having a new set of teammates at the network over the last three years. “When I left [the Falcons] I was so lucky to be given the opportunity by [CBS Sports president] David Berson and by CBS to become a part of this team.”
Ryan played 15 NFL seasons, 14 with the Falcons and one with the Indianapolis Colts. He is the Falcons’ all-time leader in passing yards (59,735), passing touchdowns (367) and games won (120). Ryan made four Pro Bowls, and was named NFL MVP in 2016 after throwing for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” team owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
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