Former NFL quarterback and current CBS Sports’ NFL Today analyst Matt Ryan is reportedly “seriously considering” a return to the Atlanta Falcons, not on the field but in the team’s front office, according to FOX Sports NFL reporter Jay Glazer.
Ryan, 40, retired in 2022 after a 15-year career. He has spent the past few seasons as an analyst for CBS. Ryan was the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent 14 seasons with the Falcons before finishing his career with the Indianapolis Colts.
Glazer reported Sunday that Falcons owner Arthur Blank has “had conversations” with Ryan about a “significant” role. Details of the potential position have not been disclosed. Sources close to Ryan indicate he is seriously weighing the opportunity.
A return to Atlanta would bring Ryan back to a franchise struggling to regain its footing. The Falcons are on track to end an eighth consecutive season without a playoff appearance. This marks the longest such drought in the NFC. They compete in the NFC South, widely regarded as one of the league’s weaker divisions.
Atlanta’s leadership remains largely the same: Terry Fontenot has served as general manager for the past five years, and head coach Raheem Morris is in his second season. The team is headed toward another sub-.500 finish, continuing a trend that has frustrated fans for nearly a decade.
Ryan’s tenure with the Falcons ended on a bit of a rocky note after the 2021 season. Ryan requested to be moved after the Falcons’ failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson in the 2022 offseason, getting traded to the Indianapolis Colts. The Falcons and Ryan were able to make amends, though. After spending one season with the Colts, Ryan signed a one-day contract with the Falcons in April 2024 and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor later that year.
Ryan would join a list of high-profile quarterbacks who have moved into executive roles after retirement. John Elway has served as general manager of the Denver Broncos, while Dan Marino spent time in the Miami Dolphins front office, including as a special advisor to the team’s president and CEO.
Since their infamous Super Bowl LI loss to the New England Patriots nearly a decade ago, Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead. The Falcons have made the playoffs just once, in 2017. The team has not finished a season with a winning record since then. This highlights the organizational challenges Ryan would face if he accepts a front-office position
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