Fourteen years in the pocket, and three years in the booth. For legendary Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, the NFL has always been home, but the view from the broadcast desk never quite matched the rush of calling plays under center. But now, as he trades his CBS headset for a front office in Atlanta, his fellow broadcasters Jim Nantz and Tony Romo are feeling it.

“I’m so proud of what you’ve done in your three years at CBS,” Nantz said on their broadcast ahead of the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars Wild Card matchup. “Everybody raves about you, your class, your integrity, your preparation. Good for the Atlanta Falcons and what they’re doing. You’re gonna be great, but we’re gonna miss you big time.”

Tony Romo, meanwhile, kept it characteristically brief but heartfelt. “I’m excited about it Matt,” Romo said, addressing Ryan’s new role. “Proud of you buddy. Go get it. We’re gonna do an Atlanta game here soon.”

These sentiments reflect the respect Matt Ryan has earned during his broadcast tenure, even as his time in the studio proved shorter than most expected. After hanging up his cleats in 2022 following a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Ryan signed up with CBS in 2023. By 2024, he’d become a staple of “The NFL Today” with Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, JJ Watt, and James Brown. But in retrospect, it was always going to be a temporary gig. 

For a player who holds virtually every Atlanta passing record (59,767 career yards and 347 touchdowns), the pull of competitive football never truly faded. Ryan’s prep and football IQ translated seamlessly to the broadcast booth, but his heart remained tethered to the game itself. Not just the commentary around it. And now, the desire to fix what’s broken in Atlanta has proven too strong. So CBS has an open seat, and the Falcons have their leader. And he’s pumped about it.

Matt Ryan’s homecoming with executive authority

The Falcons made it official on January 9, hiring their franchise legend into the newly created role of president of football. Ryan, 40, will now oversee all football operations and report directly to owner Arthur Blank. The immediate quest for Ryan will be the search for both a new head coach and general manager after the team cut ties with Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot following an 8-9 season.

So when Bill Cowher asked Ryan what his take should be when Cowher is talking about the Falcons, Ryan noted the franchise is already on the right track.

“The good part is that we’re coming out of your mouth and we’re talking about them at this time of the year,” Ryan noted. “I think that is the vision for where we want to be. You want to be in the mix, in the playoffs, and it has been too long here. We’re going to work really hard and find the right people to get us back into that position to be successful.”

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Ryan carries zero front office experience into the role, but Blank has praised his “high EQ and IQ” and ability to lead through multiple coaching regimes during his playing days. But his message to his co-hosts and the league is pretty straightforward.

“You guys know it: Football, it’s about the people,” Ryan noted. “The building is about the people, and there are a lot of really good people in that building that are already there. It starts at the top with Arthur Blank, and I am fortunate to be in this position, excited about the opportunity, and ready to get started.”

The task at hand is herculean for Matt Ryan. The 4x Pro Bowler and 2016 NFL MVP has to restore a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2017, back when Ryan still played Atlanta’s quarterback. Can he do it? We’ll have to wait until the next season to find out.