Falcons Players Buying In to Kevin Stefanski, New Regime

The Atlanta Falcons flipped their franchise this offseason, and the early returns have been positive.

The Atlanta Falcons' players appear to be buying into the new regime | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

FLOWERY BRANCH – Mandatory minicamp wrapped up this week, and the early reviews of the Atlanta Falcons' new regime have been overwhelmingly positive. It’s still early, but the new regime has made its mark on this roster, and its impact has drawn positive reviews from the players. 

Kevin Stefanski has brought a steady presence and clear expectations for his players, and his early influence has already been felt. 

"It’s a huge difference,” wide receiver Drake London said. “We’re working right now. We’re getting after it. Everybody is here at the moment, and we all have the same goal in my mind. The biggest difference right now is genuinely the same goals are in place.”

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa mentioned the calming effect Stefanski has on his players during practices and meetings.

“He says what he means, and he means what he says,” Tagovailoa explained. “A lot of things that I’ve heard within team meetings, within after practice meetings. It’s the little things that matter, it’s all about the little details with him… I wouldn’t say he’s a guy that raises his voice much. It’s just a guy who, what you see is what you get. But when he does speak, it kind of has some weight to it.”

But the impact of the new regime goes beyond the head coach, extending to Ryan, the team’s president of football. He has been hands-on during practices, regularly talking with players and even stepping in to make passes during receiver drills. 

Kyle Pitts, who played with Ryan as a rookie in 2021, said it felt nostalgic to have him back in the mix. 

“He still talks the same,” Pitts said of his former quarterback. “He’s just in a different role. He’s still the same person. I feel like he’s wrapping me tighter under his wing, from a different perspective as a front office guy now. But he just has a different role. He’s still leading the team in some sort of way, but just not physically.”

With his institutional knowledge of the organization and the game itself, Stefanski said his influence has been “invaluable” for the offseason program and team-building. 

“Matt has done a terrific job, just in terms of helping a bunch of different departments,” Stefanski said. “I think in Matt’s role, it’s unique where he can assist the coaches, he can assist the players, and he can certainly assist the front office.

"I just think he has that unique perspective," he continued. "He's been here as a player. He's had great success in this organization. He's just been a tremendous resource, certainly for me, certainly for our coaches, but I think you see him touching all aspects of this building.” 

For a franchise that has spent the better part of the last decade searching for stability, those early impressions are significant. Even though the Falcons are still months away from meaningful football, the early returns from players across the roster have been consistent. 

From all appearances, the Falcons have established a vision for where they want to go, and the players have embraced it.

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