Matt Ryan named Falcons' president of football to lead coach search

The Atlanta Falcons appointed former quarterback Matt Ryan as president of football; he will lead the search for the team's new coach and general manager and will leave his role as an analyst at CBS.

The Atlanta Falcons on Saturday named former longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the newly created role of president of football. He was announced after an interview on Friday and will lead the search for the team's next coach and general manager. Ryan will leave his job as an NFL analyst at CBS to take the position. The move follows the team's firing of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot after an 8-9 season. Key details: - Matt Ryan was the Falcons' starting quarterback from 2008-21 and was the 2016 NFL MVP; he holds most of the franchise's major passing records. - Ryan will be responsible for leading the search for the Falcons' new coach and general manager, and each new hire will report directly to him. - The team interviewed candidates for only two days before hiring Ryan. - Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he believed Ryan was qualified despite Ryan's lack of front-office experience, citing Ryan's leadership and knowledge of the game. - The Falcons have scheduled a news conference with Ryan on Tuesday. Summary: Ryan's appointment places a former franchise quarterback at the center of the Falcons' front-office reset after an 8-9 season. Each new hire will report to Ryan, and the team has scheduled a news conference with him on Tuesday. How the search proceeds beyond that announcement is undetermined at this time.