The Atlanta Falcons have their eyes on a brighter future, but it won’t come easy. That’s why team owner Arthur Blank made the move to bring in franchise legend Matt Ryan as the Falcons’ new president of football. The former No. 3 pick spent 14 seasons in Atlanta and knows what to takes to lead a team.
Ryan may lack the traditional front office experience of someone in his position, but he has a wealth of knowledge from his playing days that will be beneficial to this organization in a number of ways. One of those ways is by connecting with the players on a level that most front office people wouldn’t understand.
The Falcons let Ryan speak with the team’s rookie class at OTAs this week.
“I’ve literally sat in your seat and I’ve been in your guys’ shoes,” Ryan told Atlanta’s 2026 NFL Draft class. “So I know how you’re feeling. I understand the excitement. I understand it can be overwhelming. There’s nervousness. There’s all those things.”
Watch: Matt Ryan speaks to Falcons rookies
Watch Ryan’s full speech to the rookies, as shared by the team’s social media account below.
“Leadership has no age”
Inside Matt Ryan’s meeting with our rookie class đ pic.twitter.com/AOJBxIVdQN
â Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 20, 2026
The Falcons got back to work at OTAs on Thursday and it appears the quarterback battle between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa is heating up. Keep your eyes on this competition throughout OTAs and training camp. Regardless of who ends up as QB1, they’ll have the advantage of Ryan’s guidance behind them.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan speaks to 2026 rookie class