Matt Ryan Says Goodbye to CBS, Addresses New Role as Falcons' president of football

The Atlanta Falcons officially announced the hire of Matt Ryan to their newly minted role, ‘president of football.’ What does this role really entail? The former Falcons quarterback addressed his new role during his final show on his playoff pregame show, NFL on CBS.

Matt Ryan discusses his new role as President of Football for the @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/4NqptA2tDx
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2026

Ryan was clear that getting the Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, when he was quarterbacking for the franchise, is priority number one.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

“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 during his final broadcast on CBS. “You guys know it, football is about the people. The building is about the people. There are a lot of really good people in that building who are already there. It starts at the top with Arthur Blank, and I'm fortunate to be in this position, excited about the opportunity, and ready to get started."

Sunday’s show marked the last one for Ryan, who had spent the last two seasons in this studio analyst role for CBS, and his third with the network since retiring from the NFL.

Ryan discussed the void that was left behind since leaving the Falcons and the NFL, as a whole. He said that was then filled by the team at CBS, while addressing the impact that his post-NFL world had, but how he is excited to go back to the team that gave him his first chance to play professional football.

Matt Ryan speaks from the heart about his time at CBS Sports ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6RNyZhjR9m
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2026

Ryan will come to Atlanta and take on the role as the primary decision maker for the Falcons, and he has a big job ahead of him with his former team.

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!

The first major task for Ryan is to determine which tandem will lead the Falcons into the 2026 offseason. Several candidates have already interviewed for the role of head coach, while Ian Cunningham appears to be a frontrunner for the role of general manager. Both positions have more evolution still to come.

The former Falcons quarterback played for 14 seasons in Atlanta before playing his final season with the Indianapolis Colts. He left Atlanta as the Falcons' all-time leader in passing yards (59,735), passing touchdowns (367), and games won (120). He made four Pro Bowls and won the NFL MVP in 2016, the same year he led the team to just its second Super Bowl appearance.