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By Ross Jackson
The Atlanta Falcons are going an entirely new direction, but will be doing so with a familiar face at the helm.
After firing their head coach, general manager and CEO, the team has brought back former quarterback Matt Ryan in the newly-created position of President of Football.
Ryan’s return, who was behind center for many of the franchise’s brightest (and lowest) moments, marks a change of structure for the Falcons. The team fired head coach Raheem Morris after his Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints and also moved on from former Saints front office member and recent Atlanta general manager Terry Fontenot.
The President of Football role has been specifically created for Ryan, who will now have final say in filling both of those positions and charting a course for the organization moving forward.
However, going backwards first in order to proceed later is always a risk. Trying to relive the success of yesterday doesn’t often result in much success. That’s a lesson the Saints themselves just pivoted away from after hoping to keep their Sean Payton window open until completely changing course last offseason.
Ryan has spent the last few years holding an analyst role with CBS Sports. Now, he will soon begin interviews to fill important roles. Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, both will be considered for the head coach position.
Now, he returns to the gridiron in the hopes of helping to rebuild a contender in Atlanta. This is one that Saints fans will want to keep an eye on. With a former player leading the construction of the Falcons’ future and the Saints appearing ready to fast-track their rebuild process after a successful 2025, the rival teams may begin a lengthy power struggle as they clash atop the NFC South division.
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