Matt Ryan Reflects on 2008 as He Takes Control of Falcons’ Future

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons officially installed Matt Ryan as its inaugural president of football earlier this week. After signing his contract on Saturday, the quarterback got straight to work interviewing head coaching candidates to lead his former team into 2026 and beyond.

He broke that steady pace on Tuesday to address the media and officially embark on his role as the renewed face of the franchise he represented for 14 seasons. It was then that Ryan was snapped back to 2008, the year he was drafted and embarked on this life-changing journey that brought him to the seat he was in.

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The question came from legacy member of the Atlanta media, Sam Crenshaw. He asked what he would tell the rookie version of himself.

“Wow,” Ryan responded, with some surprise by the question. “Man, how lucky you are. How lucky you are to about to be starting this ride. And to go back and to be able to do that again, I'd sign up for it in a heartbeat. Knowing all of it, just incredibly special place. Got to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL, but got to do it, in my opinion, in the best organization in the league and to play for the best owner in the league, and to me, enjoy that, and that's what I’d tell myself, at that time. And then, hey, 20 years from now, you might be doing something different that's pretty cool too. So, enjoy that.”

The first edition of Ryan in Atlanta brought a level of stability never experienced before in Atlanta. They pieced together winning seasons and even reached a Super Bowl, the same season he earned the 2016 NFL MVP award.

In total, the former third overall pick led the Falcons to the postseason five times, with a pair of trips to the NFC Championship Games. He set franchise records for career passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), and completion percentage (65.5) over his 14 years.

All told, that’s a pretty darn good career. But he recognized that he had “unfinished business.”

“To the Falcons fans, my mission since I was drafted has never changed," he said. “It is to help this organization do everything it can to be champions and to win championships.”

Those words carry more weight now than they did when Ryan first arrived in Flowery Branch as a 23-year-old rookie. Then, his job was singular: play quarterback and lead his team. He did that, and more. Over his years in Atlanta, he became the most accomplished player in team history and the defining figure of an era.

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If his playing career proved anything, it’s that Ryan has never shied away from responsibility. The journey that began in 2008 brought stability, relevance, and belief back to a franchise that desperately needed it.

Nearly two decades later, Ryan is back in Flowery Branch. He is tasked with a similar goal, not as its quarterback, but still as the steward of this franchise. The mission hasn’t changed, just his path to achieving it.