Team owner and chairman Arthur Blank put it plainly during Ryan’s introduction as president of football: The head coach will do the normal job of a head coach, and the general manager will do the normal job of a general manager. Ryan has maintained that his focus is on supporting Stefanski and Cunningham in their efforts, not taking over their responsibilities.
“I think they’ve made some good choices,” Dungy said. “Now it’s getting to know one another and what everybody needs and desires and putting it together. And that takes a little time.”
One key area of support Ryan can offer is the direct experience of what it takes to play the game at the highest level. A former league MVP, Ryan was demanding of teammates and coaches alike during his time as Falcons quarterback. He knows what aids a player’s preparation and what can detract from it. Thus far, his background and perspective have been celebrated by those currently on the Falcons’ roster.
Dungy understands better than most what it takes to successfully transition from player to decision-maker. He believes Ryan’s time as a player will be an asset in his new role.
“When I started with the Steelers, I hadn’t coached before,” Dungy said. “Coach Noll hired me, and I asked him, ‘What am I supposed to do? What’s my job?’ And he said, ‘Your job is to help the players.’ When that came through to me, then I started thinking, well, what helped me the most? What coaches helped me? What setups helped me? How did I get help? And Matt is going to have that perspective. If we’re helping our players, what do they need?
“And that’s what I think he’s going to bring to the table. That’s going to be fantastic. A lot of times when you’re out of it for a while, you have this (mentality of), ‘Well, maybe we should do this, maybe we should do that, I think this.’ But when you play, you say, ‘Now this is what’s really going to be impactful to these guys. This is what we need to do.’ And that’s going to be a help.”
With the team’s final open practice of the NFL’s OTA period happening on Monday, and minicamp set to take place later this month, the Falcons are well on their way towards building a standard for the 2026 season. Everyone is settling into their roles both on and off the field.
The Falcons will face new challenges in training camp and the regular season, but strong relationships and a clarified vision allow the best franchises to weather the ups and downs. These past months have been spent defining what Atlanta’s path to success will look like, and those are conversations that will continue to take place.
Dungy believes it all starts at the top because he’s seen what winning looks like from nearly every vantage point. He’s a fan of the moves Atlanta made this offseason at the leadership level and will be watching to see how it all plays out.
“When it comes together, then they’ll go in that direction,” Dungy said. “And it’s going to be awesome.”
