As he begins his new job as the Falcons’ president of football operations, Matt Ryan made a stop at his old job on CBS to talk about his goals.
Ryan said on the CBS NFL pregame show that the Falcons have to get back to the playoffs, and his first task is finding a head coach and general manager who can get them there.
“That’s the vision for where we want to be: We want to be in the mix, in the playoffs. It’s been too long. We’re going to work really hard and find the right people to get us back in that position to be successful,” Ryan said. “Football is about the people.”
The last time the Falcons were in the playoffs was in 2017, when Ryan was still their quarterback. In addition to finding a coach and GM, Ryan and his staff need to find another quarterback who can lead them to the playoffs, a position they didn’t expect to find themselves in when they made big investments in Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix.
Ryan has a big job ahead of him.
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Matt Ryan is moving from TV to the Falcons. Raheem Morris could be moving from the Falcons to TV.
Morris, who was fired on Sunday after two seasons as the head coach in Atlanta, may eventually shift to broadcasting.
Via Sean Keeley of AwfulAnnouncing.com, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media floated the possibility of Morris making a move to media on Saturday.
For now, Morris is on the radar screen of the Giants, Titans, and Cardinals, each of whom are looking for new head coaches.
Morris previously coached the Buccaneers from 2009 through 2011. He worked for more than a decade as an assistant before getting a second shot. Still only 49, Morris could take a break from coaching, or make a permanent break from the non-stop grind for an easier way to make a living — even if being a head coach generally pays better.
But, hey, someone needs to take Ryan’s spot at CBS. Why not Morris?
Four years after being traded to the Colts and three years after retiring as a player, Matt Ryan is back with the Falcons. And he’s in charge of the entire team.
Via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Ryan will be the primary decision-maker in the Falcons’ organization.
Finley’s report focuses on the notion that the Bears won’t get a pair of compensatory third-round picks if assistant G.M. Ian Cunningham, as a minority candidate, is hired to be Atlanta’s next G.M. But there’s a more significant practical consequence as to Ryan’s reported role.
Regarding any executive with another team who remains under contract, that team can block a move to the Atlanta G.M. position, since it’s not really a G.M. position.
If the report is accurate, Ryan’s power over the football operation could become an impediment to the Falcons’ effort to hire a General Manager. And it could nudge the search toward someone who currently isn’t employed by an NFL team.
The Falcons completed interviews with Klint Kubiak and Anthony Weaver for the franchise’s head coach position, the team announced Saturday.
Kubiak spent the 2025 season as the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks, after one season (2024) as offensive coordinator with the Saints.
He served as the offensive passing game specialist for the 49ers in 2023, after spending the 2022 season as the offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Broncos.
Kubiak was with the Vikings for two different stints in three different jobs. He was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2021, quarterbacks coach in 2019-20 and began his NFL career in 2013-14 as quality control/assistant wide receivers coach. From 2016-18, he was the Broncos’ offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach.
Weaver has spent the past two seasons (2024-25) as defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. He previously was assistant head coach/defensive line coach for two seasons (2022-23) with the Ravens after one season (2021) as Baltimore’s run game coordinator/defensive line coach.
Weaver also spent five seasons (2016-20) with the Texans, serving as defensive line coach from 2016-19 before being promoted to defensive coordinator/defensive line coach in 2020.
Weaver began his NFL coaching career as an assistant defensive line coach with the Jets in 2012 before going to Buffalo as the defensive line coach for the Bills in 2013 and was defensive line coach for the Browns from 2014-15.
Former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has heard from a lot of teams about their head coaching vacancies since being fired last week, but he isn’t planning to speak to all of them.
Harbaugh is expected to start interviewing with teams next week and he told Jay Glazer of Fox Sports that he is taking the weekend to narrow down the list of teams he is interested in meeting with about their openings. Harbaugh told Glazer that he expects that list to include three or four teams at the end of that process.
There’s no word about any teams that may have already made the cut and there’s a chance that there could be more openings once the first round of playoff games comes to an end with Monday’s game between the Steelers and the Texans.
Harbaugh’s plans will likely have a ripple effect on the entire head coaching cycle as teams that aren’t in the running for his services can move on while others wait to find out what Harbaugh’s next stop is going to be.
How immediately will Matt Ryan be joining the Falcons? It depends on the meaning of the word “immediate.”
Yes, the Falcons’ announcement says Ryan will assume the role of president of football operations “immediately.” And the statement from CBS Sports president David Berson reads like a farewell.
That said, we’re told that Ryan will appear on Sunday’s The NFL Today in advance of the playoff game between the Bills and Jaguars.
It’s expected that Ryan will address his departure from CBS, and explain his new role with the Falcons.
Despite a report from NFL Media on Monday that Ryan hoped to work both jobs (NFL Media reported on Tuesday that he wouldn’t), we’re told that wearing the two hats was never an option for Ryan. He’ll be all in with his new job at his old team.
And there’s “immediate” work to be done. They still need to hire a G.M. and a head coach, both of whom will report directly to Ryan.
The Falcons hired Matt Ryan as their president of football on Saturday morning and he’ll move right into the interview process for the team’s next head coach.
According to multiple reports, the team will interview Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver on Saturday.
Kubiak has already interviewed with the Ravens and Raiders this week. He’s also been linked to the Cardinals and Giants, which makes him one of the most popular names in this year’s cycle.
A number of teams have also requested interviews with Weaver, who just completed his second season in Miami.
The Falcons are also expected to speak with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and more names will likely be added to the list now that Ryan is officially in place at the top of their football operations.
When the Falcons announced they would be hiring a president of football, their former quarterback Matt Ryan shot to the top of the list of candidates and the expected hire became official on Saturday morning.
The Falcons announced that Ryan has been hired and will immediately step into a role that calls for him to “oversee all aspects of Falcons football for the organization.” Ryan will be leaving his job as an analyst for CBS in order to return to the franchise that made him the third overall pick of the 2008 draft.
“I know first-hand what a great foundation this organization has and I’m confident we can build on that and cement a culture of accountability, tenacity, resilience and winning,” Ryan said in a statement. “Setting clear expectations for every single person who walks into Flowery Branch or puts on a Falcons uniform, reinvigorating our approach with strategic thinking, and being disciplined about finding near-term wins to set us up for long-term success — these are all priorities and principles I will bring to this role.”
Ryan’s first order of business will be the search for a new head coach and General Manager.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record during the 2025 season and he also became one of three unanimous choices for the Associated Press All-Pro team.
All 50 voters selected Garrett as one of their choices at edge rusher in this year’s voting. Those voters also unanimously selected Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for this year’s first team.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford got the nod over Drake Maye at quarterback, which opens up the possibility of a split with MVP for the second straight season. Stafford got 31 votes while the Patriots quarterback got 18 with Bills quarterback Josh Allen getting the other one.
Stafford joins kicker Gary Anderson as the only players to be named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in their 17th season or later.
The full All-Pro teams appear below:
First team
Offense
Quarterback — Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Running Back — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Fullback — Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Wide Receivers — Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle; Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
All Purpose — Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Tight End — Trey McBride, Arizona
Left Tackle — Garrett Bolles, Denver
Left Guard — Joe Thuney, Chicago
Center — Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Right Guard — Quinn Meinerz, Denver
Right Tackle — Penei Sewell, Detroit
Defense
Edge Rushers — Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Will Anderson Jr., Houston; Micah Parsons, Green Bay
Interior Linemen — Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee; Zach Allen, Denver
Linebackers — Jack Campbell, Detroit; Jordyn Brooks, Miami
Cornerbacks — Derek Stingley Jr., Houston; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia
Slot cornerback — Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia
Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Kevin Byard, Chicago
Special Teams
Placekicker — Will Reichard, Minnesota
Punter — Jordan Stout, Baltimore
Kick Returner — Ray Davis, Buffalo
Punt Returner — Chimera Dike, Tennessee
Special Teamer — Devon Key, Denver
Long Snapper — Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville
Second team
Offense
Quarterback — Drake Maye, New England
Running Back — James Cook, Buffalo
Fullback — Patrick Ricard, Baltimore
Wide Receivers — George Pickens, Dallas; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit; Chris Olave, New Orleans
All Purpose — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta
Tight End — Kyle Pitts, Atlanta
Left Tackle — Trent Williams, San Francisco
Left Guard — Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Center — Aaron Brewer, Miami
Right Guard — Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta
Right Tackle — Darnell Wright, Chicago
Defense
Edge Rushers — Brian Burns, New York Giants; Danielle Hunter, Houston; Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit
Interior Linemen — Leonard Williams, Seattle; Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh
Linebackers — Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville; Ernest Jones IV, Seattle
Cornerbacks — Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle
Slot cornerback — Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Safeties — Jessie Bates III, Atlanta; Talanoa Hufanga, Denver; Xavier McKinney, Green Bay (Hufanga and McKinney were tied for the second-team spot)
Special teams
Placekicker — Brandon Aubrey, Dallas
Punter — Michael Dickson, Seattle
Kick Returner — Kavontae Turpin, Dallas
Punt Returner — Marcus Jones, New England
Special Teamer — Del’Shawn Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers
Long Snapper — Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
As widely expected, the Falcons have officially interviewed former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for the position of president of football operations.
It’s also widely expected that he’ll get the job.
Others have been interviewed, including Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive V.P. of football operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football Josh Williams, and Bears assistant G.M. Ian Cunningham.
Of course, one or more of those candidates also could be considered for the still-vacant G.M. job in Atlanta.
Ryan, the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, spent 14 years with the Falcons. He was the league MVP in 2016, leading the franchise to only its second Super Bowl appearance.
Since retiring, Ryan has worked in broadcasting. Whether his existing skills translate to running an NFL team remains to be seen.
If Ryan gets the job, he would report directly to owner Arthur Blank, and the next G.M. and head coach would report directly to Ryan.
Ryan also would exit his job at CBS, going all-in and full time with the Falcons.
However it goes, the Falcons need something to go right. They’ve gone eight years since making the playoffs. They haven’t been there since Ryan was the team’s starting quarterback.
