ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons on Saturday named former longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the newly created role of president of football.
Ryan, who holds most of the team's passing records after he spent 14 years as the starter, was announced to the new role after interviewing on Friday.
Ryan will be responsible for leading the search for the Falcons' new coach and general manager. Each new hire will report directly to Ryan, who will leave his role as NFL analyst with CBS.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank on Thursday confirmed the team's interest in Ryan. The team interviewed candidates for only two days before hiring Ryan.
Ryan was the Falcons' starting quarterback from 2008-21 and was named the 2016 NFL MVP after leading the team to the Super Bowl. He holds most of the team’s major passing records, including yards, touchdown passes and completions, and he retired following one season with the Indianapolis Colts.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home."
The Falcons have scheduled a news conference with Ryan on Tuesday.
Blank said Thursday he believed Ryan was qualified for the job despite his lack of front-office experience because of his high football IQ. Blank said in a statement Saturday that Ryan's “leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history.”
Added Blank: “I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot last weekend, hours after the completion of an 8-9 season. It was the team's eighth consecutive losing season. It will be Ryan's challenge to help direct the team to its first playoff appearance since 2017.
“I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity,” Ryan said. "I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the city of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
David Berson, CBS Sports president and CEO, congratulated Ryan in a post on social media.
“We couldn't be happier for Matt,” Berson said. “Becoming the president of football with the same organization he once guided as an MVP quarterback is an incredible opportunity. Matt is an outstanding teammate, leader and friend and we thank him for his time at CBS Sports. We know he'll bring the same level of excellence to this new role that defined his playing career and his time with us.”
Ryan acknowledges there will be an adjustment in his new job.
“My history with this team speaks for itself, and I’m really grateful for it, and the great relationship I’ve been lucky to have with Arthur and his family,” Ryan said. “I also recognize this side of football is not where I’ve come up. I’ve played, I’ve commented, but I haven’t directly operated. I think I’m humble enough to recognize there will be some baptism by fire, but I’m ready for that.
"I know I’ve got great resources and partners throughout this organization and I’m fortunate to have mentors across the league. That said, I do understand the weight of a role like this — I’ve lived it. I have confidence in the perspective my years as a player and a team leader give me. This is not a new table; it’s just a new seat.”
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Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
FILE - Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, left, talks to former quarterback Matt Ryan before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
BOSTON (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, including a game-sealing jumper with 19.2 seconds left, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 100-95 on Saturday night.
De’Aaron Fox also finished with 21 points for the Spurs and Keldon Johnson added 18 points and 10 rebounds. San Antonio won its second straight after losing two in a row.
Derrick White led Boston with 29 points and Jaylen Brown had 27. The Celtics lost for just the third time in 12 games.
The game was tied at 84 before Baylor Scheierman’s corner 3-pointer pushed Boston ahead with just under seven minutes left. White followed with a driving basket before the Spurs went on a 9-2 spree, taking a 93-91 lead on Johnson’s 3-pointer with 2:14 left.
After Brown’s layup tied it, Wembanyama’s fadeaway jumper pushed San Antonio back in front with 1:33 to go.
Brown was then stripped of the ball near midcourt by Fox, and Julian Champagnie converted a putback of his own miss to make it 97-93 with 41 seconds left.
Wembanyama’s left-wing jumper made it 99-95.
Playing his third straight game after missing a pair with a sore knee, Wembanyama didn’t score his first points until hitting a 3 from the top midway into the second quarter.
But he got going in the second half, scoring nine consecutive points for San Antonio midway into the third quarter, bringing the Spurs back from a nine-point deficit to tie it on his three-point play.
CAVALIERS 146, TIMBERWOLVES 134
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers took control in the second half for a victory over Minnesota on that snapped the Timberwolves’ four-game winning streak.
Mitchell also had four 3-pointers as the Cavaliers had five players score at least 20 points. Evan Mobley had 24 points, Jaylon Tyson scored 23 off the bench and Darius Garland added 22.
Sam Merrill had 20 points and set a franchise record with at least five 3-pointers in four straight games.
The 146 points are the fourth most the Cavaliers have scored in a regulation game. They scored 148 in a 33-point victory over Washington on Nov. 7.
PACERS 123, HEAT 99
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Nembhard had 29 points and nine assists, Aaron Nesmith added 12 points and nine rebounds before an early exit and Indiana routed Miami.
Indiana matched its longest winning streak of the season with a rare second straight victory, this time taking the easy route. The Pacers never trailed and held a double-digit lead for most of the game. The Pacers made 17 3-pointers, one short of their season high, with Nembhard matching his season best with four.
Backup Micah Potter made four 3s and finished with 14 points. Jarace Walker had 13 points.
Tyler Herro had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists on a night Miami shot just 39.1% from the field. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 16 points, and Bam Adebayo had 13 points and nine rebounds. Miami has lost three of its last four and missed its first 11 3s on Saturday.
The game tipped less than 24 hours after another Miami-Indiana contest was set up in college football’s national championship game. And just like Friday night’s Hoosiers victory over Oregon, the Pacers wasted no time setting the tone — or running out to a big lead.
They used first-quarter runs of 12-2 and 9-0 to build an early 28-12 cushion. Miami trailed 36-18 entering the second quarter.
CLIPPERS 98, PISTONS 92
DETROIT (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and John Collins added 25 as Los Angeles rallied to beat short-handed Detroit.
The Clippers trailed by 19 points in the first half and 14 in the fourth quarter before finishing the game on a 28-8 run. Detroit turned the ball over 12 times in the quarter.
James Harden added 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Los Angeles, which has won nine of 11.
The Pistons played without Cade Cunningham (wrist), Isaiah Stewart (illness), Tobias Harris (hip) and Jalen Duren (ankle). That left Detroit without its top three scorers, three of their top four rebounders and their top three shot blockers. Cunningham also has 321 assists — the only player who entered Saturday’s action with more than 100.
Duncan Robinson scored 20 points, but took just one shot in the second half. Ron Holland II scored 16 and Tolu Smith added nine points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
BULLS 125, MAVERICKS 107
CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored 22 points, Ayo Dosunmu had 20 and Chicago beat Dallas to snap a three-game losing streak.
The Bulls put seven players in double figures, outscored the Mavericks 38-8 in fast-break points and never trailed. Nikola Vucevic and Matas Buzelis each added 15 points as Chicago shot 51.5% from the field.
The Mavericks began the game without the injured Anthony Davis and lost coach Jason Kidd midway through the first quarter of it after he was ejected for arguing with referee Scott Foster.
Ryan Nembhard had 16 points and six assists for the Mavericks. Rookie star Cooper Flagg finished with just 11 points and one rebound, shooting 4 for 13.
Dallas lost its second straight after winning two in a row. Davis sustained ligament damage in his left hand in the Mavericks’ loss to Utah on Thursday.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) grabs a defensive rebound against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
