Matt Ryan breaks silence on Kevin Stefanski hiring as new Falcons coach

When news broke that the Atlanta Falcons were finalizing a deal to hire Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, fans eagerly anticipated what Matt Ryan, the team’s franchise quarterback-turned-President of Football Operations, would have to say on the deal.

Taking some of the NFL spotlight as the Seattle Seahawks took on the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC West showdown, Ryan revealed why Stefanski is the rightman for the job, as he brings a ton of upside to the organization.

“We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team, and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness, and active collaboration with every area of the football operation,” Ryan said via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.

“Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed. Kevin’s style of leadership, combined with the staff and infrastructure in place here in Atlanta, gives us confidence in our shared vision for the team, and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team.”

Widely considered the second-most in-demand head coach of this cycle behind John Harbaugh, Stefanski brings an offensive mindset, a strong run game, and two Coach of the Year trophies to a Falcons team that finished 2025 with an 8-9 record. While only time will tell if he can finally get the Falcons back to the playoffs, in a division as wide open as the NFC South, expectations are rightfully high.

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