Kevin Stefanski To Weigh In On Falcons GM Search
The Falcons have made their first two major hires of the offseason in president of football operations Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Their search for a new general manager begun before those moves became official, but Stefanski is expected to “have a voice” in the search, according to The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson.
Of course, a new head coach helping the team pick their next general manager is not much of a surprise. The process typically goes the other way around, but the Falcons’ new structure has the GM reporting to Ryan. So, hiring Stefanski first and involving him in the search will allow him to find a true partner as they work to build a team together.
It is worth noting that Ryan did not participate in the first stage of interviews, so his real influence will not come until the second round, when Stefanski will also be involved.
Had the Falcons not landed Stefanski, their other targets for second interviews were Jeff Hafley and Jesse Minter, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Both would have been immediately available for those in-person meets, which could have allowed the Falcons to move just as quickly as they did with Stefanski.
Instead, Hafley ended up in Miami, and Minter is a finalist for multiple head coaching vacancies around the league. Hafley’s new GM, former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan, had come in from Green Bay just a few weeks before he was hired, while Minter could end up in Baltimore, where he previously worked with Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta during his stint as a defensive assistant.
Falcons Prefer To Hire HC Before GM
The Falcons have a new president of football in Matt Ryan, who landed the job on Jan. 10 despite a lack of front office experience. The former Falcons and Colts quarterback and ex-CBS analyst immediately took on the task of finding a new general manager and head coach for Atlanta. Both positions are vacant after owner Arthur Blank fired Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris on the heels of a second straight 8-9 season.
The Falcons’ head coach and GM searches are occurring concurrently, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The team would prefer to hire a head coach before a GM, though, Albert Breer of SI.com says. That isn’t a surprise, as Ryan is already in place as the de facto GM.
Blank said last week that Ryan has “final decision-making authority,” meaning he’ll outrank Fontenot’s replacement. However, Ryan insists Atlanta’s next GM will not be a figurehead.
“The final decisions that I am going to have to make is who we hire, but we are empowering (the HC and GM) to go out there and do their job and I have expressed that in the interviews that we have had,” Ryan stated (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic).
Ryan hasn’t conducted any GM interviews, but some of the candidates he beat out for his job may be in the running, per Ledbetter. Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, and Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham interviewed for the president of football position. Those meetings also counted as GM interviews, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports). It’s unclear if the Falcons will hold more discussions with anyone from that group.
Turning to the Falcons’ head coaching search, Blank revealed that Ryan has led the interviews (via Ledbetter). Ryan has met with eight candidates so far, including John Harbaugh, but he’ll come off the board when he finalizes an agreement with the Giants. Here’s the entire group the Falcons have considered so far, courtesy of PFR’s HC Search Tracker:
- Aden Durde, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/10
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Interview requested
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/15
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Interviewed 1/12; second interview canceled
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interview requested
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/10
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/12
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/15
- Antonio Pierce, former head coach (Raiders): To interview
- Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview requested
- Kevin Stefanski, former head coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/11; seen as a frontrunner
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/10
Coaches with defensive backgrounds comprise the majority of the list. That’s OK with Ryan, who said he’s not pushing for an offensive-minded hire (via Kendall). When Ryan makes his pick, he won’t meddle into how that individual puts together a coaching staff. Rather, Blank said Ryan will enable the coach to pick his assistants, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports relays. Blank has made it clear he’d prefer for the next head coach to retain defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. However, if Morris’ successor doesn’t want to keep Ulbrich, it seems he’ll be allowed to hire a different D-coordinator.
Falcons Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football
Longtime Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is returning to Atlanta in a key front office role. The Falcons announced that they have hired Ryan as their president of football.
The Falcons created the position for Ryan, one of the greatest players in franchise history. Ryan originally joined the Falcons as the third overall pick in the 2008 draft. The Boston College product quarterbacked the team through 2021 and made four Pro Bowls.
During an MVP-winning season in 2016, Ryan led the Falcons to a Super Bowl bid. After a gut-wrenching loss to the Patriots, the Falcons rebounded to earn a playoff berth again in 2017 for the sixth and final time in the Ryan era. They have not gone back to the postseason since then.
Failing to reach the playoffs in five years under general manager Terry Fontenot and two seasons under head coach Raheem Morris led owner Arthur Blank to move on from the pair a week ago.
Blank acted quickly in hiring Ryan, most recently a CBS NFL analyst. The 40-year-old Ryan beat out Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams and Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham for the job. He’ll now leave behind his role with CBS.
In a statement announcing his hiring, Ryan said: “Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today. While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
In taking over as the Falcons’ top football executive, Ryan will hold “final decision-making authority,” Blank stated on Friday. Ryan will immediately get to work on hiring a new GM and head coach.
With Ryan firmly in charge, the NFL regards the Falcons’ GM opening as a secondary position, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. That means the Falcons technically don’t have to conduct any interviews before hiring someone for the role. However, the Falcons’ president of football interviews also served as GM interviews, sources told Dianna Russini of The Athletic (via Scott Bair of Marquee Sports). While the Falcons may offer the job to Disner, Tilis, Williams or Cunningham, hiring either Williams or Cunningham would have to wait because those two are working for current playoff teams. It’s also possible that those individuals’ teams could block them from taking the Falcons’ gig if they view it as a lateral move.
There are fewer complications with the Falcons’ HC opening. They’re set to interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The Falcons also have interest in John Harbaugh, the most established choice on the market, but they’re not ready to “go all-in” on him yet, Jones reports.
Once Ryan settles on replacements for Fontenot and Morris, his focus will turn to improving a roster that produced an 8-9 record in 2025, the team’s eighth straight sub-.500 season. The Falcons haven’t finished above .500 since Ryan was under center in 2017. Evaluating the team’s current QBs – Kirk Cousins, a likely release candidate, and Michael Penix Jr. – will rank among Ryan’s most important tasks in the coming weeks.
Falcons Interview Five For President Of Football Position
Earlier this week, it was announced that former Falcons long-time quarterback Matt Ryan was expected to be hired into a new position in Atlanta’s front office. It was initially reported as a president of football operations job, but it seems the title the Falcons are going with is just president of football. 
Per Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney, team owner Arthur Blank described the position, saying, “The leader in this new role will set the vision for our team. Our new head coach and general manager will report to the new president of football, and they will work collaboratively as a football leadership team on all football decisions. Final decision-making authority will rest with the president of football.”
This shines new light on the position as one superior to that of the head coach and general manager, who will both apparently report to this president of football. Today, the team also announced that five candidates have been interviewed for the position that had been expected to go to Ryan days ago. Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner, Panthers executive vice president of operations Brandt Tilis, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, and Ryan, the current CBS analyst, were the five interviewed candidates.
Disner started his career as an intern in New England before joining the Cardinals, with whom he spent six years as director of football administration. He then spent four years at the NFL Management Council before eventually joining the Lions. He’s been credited as being a part of the leadership group that oversaw the current general manager and head coach hirings in Detroit and connecting business strategy with football operations. The team believes Disner’s experience fits Blank’s expectations for the role very well.
Tilis also spent time at the NFL Management Council, afterwards finding his way to Kansas City. He worked for the Chiefs for 14 seasons, starting as a salary cap/contract analyst, then advancing through director of salary cap and football operations analytics, and director of football administration roles to become vice president of football operations. After three years in that role, Tilis was offered his current job in Carolina. Tilis’ financial acumen is what Atlanta covets here. He’s known as having been the lead negotiator when the Chiefs extended quarterback Patrick Mahomes to his 10-year deal. His role with the Panthers has seen him play “a role in creating cap stability while improving roster health and talent,” once again displaying the type of overarching vision that Blank is looking for.
Williams took to the business world in New York City following the end of his collegiate playing career at Columbia. He joined San Francisco’s scouting department in 2011 and has been with the team ever since, serving in the roles of pro personnel scout, NFS scout, area scout, and national scout before being elevated to his current role last year. Williams was also a participant in the NFL’s Front Office and General Manager Accelerator Program in 2024.
Cunningham started in Baltimore as a player personnel assistant, working his way up to area scout in his nine seasons with the team. He left the Ravens for Philadelphia to serve as director of college scouting before moving up to assistant director of player personnel and, eventually, director. In 2022, he was hired into his current role with the Bears, who had never had an assistant GM before. His meteoric rise through the ranks of his two prior programs and the quick turnaround to success that has followed his arrival in Chicago has Atlanta intrigued in his potential to do something similar with the Falcons.
It would be prudent to point out that, as two external minority candidates, Williams and Cunningham technically satisfy the Falcons’ Rooney Rule requirements that tend to apply to the hiring of positions such as general manager or head coach. Since this position seemingly oversees both, Atlanta may have been covering their bases by interviewing four other candidates, including the two minority candidates, instead of just hiring Ryan as initially thought in original reports. That being said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter called Cunningham “a favorite for the job,” but that remains to be seen.
Ryan was the last interviewed candidate announced by the team today, and his experience obviously comes from the 14 years he spent as the franchise’s starting quarterback. He’s reportedly become a trusted voice in the building, and his relationship with Blank makes him widely expected to land the position, as initially reported. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Ryan concluded the team’s interviews for the position, and a decision is now expected to come in the near future.
Matt Ryan Hoping To Retain TV Duties Despite Falcons Gig?
JANUARY 6: Although Brady has the FOX/Raiders overlap, Ryan does not appear to be under the impression he would have the opportunity to keep going at CBS and play a lead role in Falcons decision-making. As it turns out, Pelissero indicates Ryan would only work for the Falcons if he indeed becomes their football ops president.
This is an interesting about-face, and it is worth wondering if Ryan floated the prospect of doing both jobs. But the Atlanta resident looks to be committed to working with the Falcons. This would open an NFL Today slot for the 2026 season.
JANUARY 5: The Falcons appear set to hire former quarterback Matt Ryan as their new president of football operations. If the former MVP has his way, he’ll continue his TV gig.
[RELATED: Falcons Expected To Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football Operations]
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (h/t Awful Announcing), Ryan is “hoping to retain his duties at CBS.” Ryan joined the network as an analyst for the 2023 season, and he’s been apart of The NFL Today pregame show since 2024.
Naturally, this arrangement would present some potential conflicts of interest. However, the NFL has already set a precedent in regards to executives working for media partners. Despite being a partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Brady has continued to serve as the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox.
A recent report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic indicated that Brady was only at the team facility “a handful of times this season.” While Brady was still heavily involved in the Raiders’ daily operations, there’s also a clear distinction between a minority owner and the leader of football operations. While Brady was allowed to juggle both responsibilities, it’s uncertain if the same flexibility will be afforded to Ryan, both from the NFL and from Falcons ownership.
Of course, Ryan’s television duties shouldn’t distract from his initial tasks as Atlanta’s president of football operations. The former quarterback will be responsible for spearheading the organization’s search for a new head coach and general manager. Once those hires have been made, Ryan will presumably also have major influence over the team’s roster. This duty would surely extend into the 2026 regular season.
Falcons Expected To Hire Matt Ryan As President Of Football Operations
JANUARY 6: Ryan will interview Thursday or Friday of this week, per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport. A hire shortly thereafter would come as no surprise.
JANUARY 5: It was recently learned the Falcons have been in talks with Matt Ryan about a prominent front office role. A hire is not yet official, but further details have emerged regarding the expected reunion between the two.
Atlanta is in the process of a notable restructuring. That will include a new head coach and general manager after last night’s firing of Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot. Other moves have been made as well, though. Longtime CEO Rich McKay has continued expanding his role into other areas of the Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment organization, and today marks a key point in a five-year succession plan for his replacement.
[RELATED: Ryan Aiming To Work For Both Falcons, CBS]
Greg Beadles has been promoted from president to president and CEO of the Falcons, Blank notes in an open letter to fans. This position primarily affects the business side of the operation, but Beadles will also play a role in implementing the wider restructuring process in the organization. That includes the pending hire of a president of football operations.
The Falcons will soon begin the interview process on that front. Before it begins, though, it is widely expected Ryan will be hired. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes, the former MVP quarterback has already done “homework” on a number of head coach and general manager candidates. The process of finding replacements for Morris and Fontenot, to no surprise, will not begin until the president of football ops is officially in place.
Atlanta must comply with the Rooney Rule before making a hire on that front. Once that takes place, Pelissero cautions teams may be leery about allowing their executives to interview for the GM gig knowing that position will not be the highest ranking one in the front office. The list of targets from the Falcons’ perspective will thus be interesting to see over the coming weeks.
Ryan, 40, spent all but the final year of his playing career with Atlanta. Not long after a single campaign with the Colts, he retired and transitioned to broadcasting. Another notable career move now appears to be imminent, and it will send him to a familiar organization.
Falcons, Matt Ryan Discussing Front Office Role
Matt Ryan‘s Falcons career ended in 2022. He spent one season in Indianapolis before retiring and turning his attention to broadcasting. 
As of now, Ryan works as an analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage. He could be on the verge of a return to Atlanta, however. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports the Falcons have discussed hiring Ryan as a member of their front office.
Nothing has been finalized at this point, but Glazer adds the former MVP is “seriously considering” the offer. The exact nature of the position being proposed is unclear for the time being, although the report notes that it is a “significant” one. This development comes amidst uncertainty regarding how the Falcons will proceed on the sidelines and in the front office once the season ends.
Head coach Raheem Morris‘ second stint in Atlanta has not gone according to plan. Meanwhile, general manager Terry Fontenot has been in place for five years; the team has not posted a winning record in any season during that span. Dismissing one or both has therefore become a talking point as the 2025 campaign has unfolded. A majority of PFR’s readers believe both Morris and Fontenot will be replaced in the near future.
Regardless of what happens on both of those fronts, bringing Ryan back into the organization in any capacity would be notable. Ex-players often turn to coaching once they hang up their cleats, and many have severed their former teams in a symbolic and/or ambassador role. Ryan could look to work in Atlanta’s front office, though, and it will be interesting to see if he finalizes a deal to join the team during or prior to the start of the 2026 hiring cycle.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LB Jack Cochrane
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Mitchell Wilcox
The Patriots have recently been seeking some depth at tight end, as the team hosted three players at the position last week (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss). The team ultimately opted for the six-foot-four, 250-pound Wilcox. The former UDFA out of South Florida spent his first four seasons in Cincinnati, where he often alternated between the practice squad and active roster. He had a career year in 2022, finishing with 17 catches. However, he followed that up with a 2023 campaign where he caught only nine passes.
Hunter Henry will continue to lead New England’s tight ends depth chart in 2024 after he re-signed with the organization. The Patriots also signed veteran Austin Hooper to replace Mike Gesicki, who left via free agency. Mitchell will likely compete with La’Michael Pettway for the third TE spot.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs retained Cochrane, who was tendered as a restricted free agent earlier this offseason. The former UDFA out of South Dakota has won a pair of Super Bowls in two seasons in Kansas City, appearing in 32 regular season games and seven postseason contests along the way. He’s turned into a key special teams player for the Chiefs, appearing in 336 ST snaps in 2023. He also got some run on defense, finishing the campaign with 28 total tackles.
QB Matt Ryan Retires
2023 saw Matt Ryan transition to the broadcast booth, a move which appeared to bring an end to his playing days. The former MVP quarterback remained open to a return to the field last season, but that is no longer the case.
Ryan announced his official retirement on Monday (video link). To no surprise, he has done so as a member of the Falcons, the organization with which he spent the first 14 years of his career. The 38-year-old spent 2022 with the Colts, but his one-and-done tenure there paved the way for his broadcasting career to begin.
The Falcons drafted Ryan third overall in 2008, and he served as the team’s starting quarterback from that point through to his final campaign in Atlanta (2021). He collected four Pro Bowl nods during that span, highlighted by the 2016 season in which he was at the helm of the league’s highest-scoring offense. The Falcons rode their success on that side of the ball to a Super Bowl appearance.
Atlanta went on to suffer an historic collapse in that game, and the team has only made one playoff appearance since. As Ryan aged, he generally remained a consistent producer but the former Offensive Rookie of the Year was unable to guide the Falcons an another deep playoff run. After facing increasing questions about his future, Ryan was dealt to the Colts in 2022.
Indianapolis viewed the Ryan acquisition as a multi-year investment, but he struggled during his run as the team’s starter (14 touchdowns, 13 interceptions in 12 games). With Frank Reich out of the picture, interim head coach Jeff Saturday benched the Boston College product; that move, in turn, foreshadowed his release last March. Ryan then lined up a deal with CBS while leaving the door open to an NFL return under the right circumstances.
After the Jets lost Aaron Rodgers to an Achilles tear in Week 1, Ryan was named as one of the veteran passers who reached out to New York about a short-term arrangement. Ryan disputed that, though, and he remained away from the game (in a playing capacity) for the campaign. Now, he can keep his attention focused on his broadcasting work while reflecting on his decorated time in the league.
“So today, 16 days after being drafted, my childhood dream has officially come to an end. I’m honored to retire as a Falcon,” Ryan’s message reads in part. “Thank you to all the Falcons fans for your continued support… While we didn’t accomplish everything we had hoped, I am proud of what we did.”
Ryan will formally exit the game as the Falcons’ franchise record-holder in several categories. In terms of all-time ranks, he sits fifth in the NFL in completions (5.551), seventh in yards (62.792) and ninth in touchdowns (381). Today’s one-day Falcons pact represents the final – and, of course, least lucrative – one of his accomplished tenure. Ryan amassed over $306MM in career earnings after inking two separate Atlanta extensions with a nine-figure total value.
“You have no control in this profession in where you start,” Ryan added. “I am so lucky that my start and my finish was here in Atlanta.”
Jets Not Aiming To Add Another Veteran QB
The Jets will head into a third straight game with a Zach Wilson–Tim Boyle QB depth chart, with practice squad addition Trevor Siemian not on track to be elevated in time for New York’s matchup against Kansas City. For the foreseeable future, Siemian looks to be it regarding Jets QB additions.
Although Siemian does not profile as a player who will be an open-and-shut upgrade on Wilson, he represents the organization’s move. In the wake of Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear, the Jets did not want to bring in a starter-caliber quarterback like Carson Wentz or Matt Ryan due to the quarterback controversy such a move would have incited, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Instead, the Jets wanted to give Wilson the best chance to succeed. Robert Saleh‘s endorsements are in line with that plan.
[RELATED: Rodgers Not Ruling Out Return This Season]
So far, Wilson has not shown notable improvement, despite the Jets’ party line depicting offseason progress from the former No. 2 overall pick. The Jets’ inaction regarding a surefire upgrade effort also stems from finances, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, who said during an appearance on Fox Sports’ Undisputed the team already devoting a substantial amount of cash to its QB spot — via the Rodgers trade — has impacted its willingness to chase another passer. Both Wentz and Ryan reached out to the team, with Costello adding Ryan indeed did so (despite the ex-Falcons and Colts starter denying he wants to step away from his CBS announcing gig).
Only the Browns and Ravens have outspent the Jets in terms of 2023 cash, with Gang Green at nearly $277MM. In terms of cap space, the Jets hold just more than $8MM, which ranks 11th in the NFL. The directive aimed at instructing the Jets to make do with that they have at quarterback came from the top down, Anderson adds.
While Woody Johnson confirmed a willingness to spend for a veteran upgrade this offseason, it looks like — for the time being, at least — the Jets will not double down on the position after acquiring Rodgers. The Jets prefer to use their practice squad as the gateway to a QB addition, Anderson notes. This would mean a Siemian elevation or eventual promotion to the active roster.
Names like Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill have circulated as potential Jets options. Cousins, who would cost the Vikings $10MM in dead money to move, has a no-trade clause. The Titans did not touch Tannehill’s base salary this offseason. With that number sitting at $27MM, the Jets would need to make considerable cap adjustments or push the Titans to eat a portion of his contract. Wentz remains unattached. Despite coming into the league via an Eagles trade-up to No. 2 overall, a move Philadelphia made when current Jets GM Joe Douglas was part of its front office, no traction has emerged regarding the now-well-traveled QB being signed.
Siemian spoke with the Jets shortly after Rodgers went down, and while the team opted to stand pat at quarterback through Week 3, Costello adds Siemian reached out again this week to see if they were still interested. The former seventh-round pick, who went into the 2019 season as Sam Darnold‘s Jets backup, is now 31 and has been with seven teams — if his Cincinnati offseason stay is counted. Siemian has made 30 career starts but has been a backup since the Broncos traded him to the Vikings in 2018.
Siemian joined Chad Henne, Colt McCoy and Brett Rypien as players the Jets contacted. Interest was not mutual regarding some of the players the Jets contacted, Anderson adds. The Jets inquired about signing Rypien off the Rams’ practice squad, a move that would have vaulted the ex-Broncos backup to the Jets’ active roster for at least three weeks, but Los Angeles instead promoted him to its 53-man unit.
With Wilson-driven locker-room frustration again surfacing, it will be interesting to see if the Jets change their low-cost approach to QB staffing in this emergency circumstance. The team had mostly relied on rookie-contract QBs since the Brett Favre move 15 years ago, prompting the Rodgers swing. With Wilson’s QBR ahead of only Justin Fields‘ number, the Jets are paying for not acquiring a veteran backup and instead keeping Wilson in that role this offseason. The team’s Week 7 bye might be the point a reassessment occurs.