Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is shaking up the flow chart from the top after firing general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris.
Blank outlined intentions to hire a “president of football” after a two-month review of the organization and has moved longtime front office voice Rich McKay to a role with a heavier focus in his other areas of business, including preparation for hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“With the help of Sportsology Group, we have conducted a deep, thorough and intentional health assessment of our entire football operation over the last two months,” Blank said Monday in an open letter to Falcons fans.
“Knowing adjustments across our operation are necessary to achieve our goals, we will be making significant changes. As we announced last night, we will have a new head coach and general manager in 2026, but that is only one part of our approach in a new era.”
ESPN and The Athletic reported CBS football studio analyst and former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was offered the role of president. But Blank is not waiting for a president to set the course in his search for a new GM-coach combination. He said the search for candidates to fill both roles is already under way.
“We have retained ZRG Partners and Sportsology Group to assist in those searches, respectively, and will also leverage insights from others across the football landscape with a keen eye for where the NFL game is today and where it’s going to help us fill those two critical roles,” Blank said.
Whether Ryan is the president of football for the Falcons or Blank moves to another candidate, it’s clear he wants that role to be the voice of the franchise.
“Final decision-making authority will rest with the president of football. This leader will also work in collaboration with the club’s president and CEO to ensure the team’s football and business operations are appropriately aligned with unified organizational goals to deliver success on the field and in all areas of engaging Falcons fans,” Blank wrote. “The new president of football will report directly to me. We plan to move quickly on this hire so the new president of football can be fully involved in the selection of our new leaders in the head coach and general manager roles.”
The Falcons finished 8-9 and owe their first-round pick — No. 13 overall — to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2025 draft-day trade to move back into the first round to select edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who posted a team rookie record with 10.5 sacks this season.
Critical roster questions surround quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins. Cousins is halfway through the four-year, $180 million contract signed before the 2024 season and has a guaranteed $10 million roster bonus for next season. Moving on from Cousins would come with a $45 million dead cap hit.
Penix is approaching the two-month mark in his recovery from ACL surgery on his left knee as the offseason begins.
Running back Bijan Robinson is a candidate for a huge raise entering the final year of his four-year rookie deal, which also includes a team option for 2027. Robinson’s base salary for 2026 is $1.145 million.
