Former Falcons QB Matt Ryan is considered the favorite to be Atlanta’s President of Football.
The last three days have been a whirlwind for the Atlanta Falcons. After surprising the NFL by firing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday, the team has been busy identifying different potential candidates.
The Falcons are also adding a new “President of Football” role that’s widely expected to be filled by Matt Ryan. However, the team can’t simply give the job to Ryan, even if some fans would prefer it. While the former league MVP is expected to interview for the job on Thursday or Friday, the Falcons have also shown interest in a few league execs.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team requested to interview San Francisco 49ers exec Josh Williams and Carolina Panthers EVP Brandt Tilis for the President of Football job.
Williams has spent the last 13 years with the 49ers in various roles. He was a finalist for the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching general manager job in 2024 and is extremely qualified for the Falcons’ President of Football role.
Tilis was a key part of the Panthers’ recent turnaround, helping the team clinch the division for the first time in 10 years. Atlanta lost both games to Carolina in 2025, and missed a chance to steal the NFC South as a result of those losses.
While both candidates have favorable resumes to Ryan, it’s hard to imagine Arthur Blank going with anyone else after the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the fans.
Follow along with each update on the hunt for a new head coach, general manager using our Falcons interview tracker!