Falcons End Rich McKay’s Football Role in Major Organizational Shift

The Falcons are implementing a major front office and organization-wide restructure in the aftermath of firing coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot.

Rich McKay, the longtime right-hand man of Falcons owner Arthur Blank, is stepping down as CEO, and the franchise is creating a new position, president of football, to be hired from outside the organization and widely expected to be former Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who is currently an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.

The new president of football will report directly to Blank, 83, and will be the direct report for the new coach and GM, with final decision-making authority on all football matters. “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,” Blank said in a letter to fans released Monday.

Two outside consulting firms have been hired to help with the new hires: ZRG Partners for the coaching search, and Sportsology Group for the GM position and the wider front-office restructure.

Ryan’s potential return to the Falcons was first reported by Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer on Dec. 28. Ryan, the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, played 14 seasons in Atlanta, won the NFL MVP award in 2016, and led the franchise to its second Super Bowl appearance that season.

McKay’s Legacy

McKay, 66, was the Falcons GM from 2004 to 2008, when he transitioned to president and CEO. In that role, he oversaw the construction of the $1.6 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and hired his successor, former GM Thomas Dimitroff.

In 2023, McKay gave up the president title, beginning a succession plan for president Greg Beadles, who is now being promoted to president and CEO. Beadles will primarily focus on non-football business affairs, but he will collaborate with the new president of football as needed.

McKay will retain his role as CEO of AMB Sports & Entertainment, which is Blank’s larger sports portfolio that includes the Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta United (MLS), a NWSL expansion team that will begin play in 2028, the Atlanta Drive GC (TGL), and the nationwide PGA Superstore retail chain, among other assets.

McKay will also continue to serve as co-chair of the NFL’s competition committee, according to Blank. However, his future on that committee could be murky, as the other nine members (coaches, GMs, or owners) all have close ties to their respective teams’ football operations, which McKay will not have anymore.

Before joining the Falcons, McKay—the youngest son of the late USC and Buccaneers coach John McKay—was Tampa Bay’s GM from 1994 to 2003.