Even though the Falcons are one of 12 franchises to have never won a Super Bowl, there have been plenty of great players who’ve called Atlanta home throughout their 60 seasons. Today, we’re going to stick to their best players since the turn of the century.
Last month, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox compiled a list of each team’s Mt. Rushmore since 2000. For each list, Knox considered several factors, including the following:
- Overall production
- Postseason success
- Contributions to team success
- Individual accolades
- Memorable moments
- Any other relevant team- or player-specific factors
With those factors in mind – and one somewhat surprising omission – let’s dive right in. The Falcons Mt. Rushmore since 2000 included the following players:
- WR Julio Jones
- C Todd McClure
- QB Matt Ryan
- WR Roddy White
QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones Were ‘Easy Inclusions’
The Falcons have been one of the most mediocre teams in the NFL since 2000, with a record of 197-206-1. But, they’ve made a Super Bowl appearance (2016) more recently than all but 4 NFC teams (Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
That Super Bowl trip unfortunately resulted in the infamous 28-3 blown lead against the New England Patriots. But, the 2 members of the Falcons Mt. Rushmore who played in that game formed one of the greatest QB-WR duos of all-time: Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.
Matt Ryan holds every passing record in Falcons franchise history by a wide margin. He’s in the top 10 in league history in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. During his 14 seasons in Atlanta, Ryan earned 4 Pro Bowl nods and had the greatest QB season in Falcons history in 2016.
He completed just under 70% of his passes for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a Pro Bowl berth, his only First-Team All-Pro nod, his only Offensive Player of the Year award, and the league MVP.
You could’ve extended this to the Falcons all-time Mt. Rushmore, and Julio Jones would’ve earned a spot. He made his mark on the league as one of the most dominant forces at the position, hauling in over 900 catches for over 13,700 yards.
During the 2015 season, Jones finished just 93 yards short of Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record (1,964 yards). Jones followed that up with another impressive campaign in 2016, hauling in 83 catches for 1,409 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 14 games.
Jones even made one of the most impressive catches of all time in the Super Bowl, but the Patriots’ unreal comeback overshadowed it.
WR Roddy White Was Another ‘Easy Inclusion’ on Falcons Mt. Rushmore since 2000
Unfortunately, WR Roddy White just missed out on the Falcons’ Super Bowl run, as he retired following the 2015 season. During his 11 years in Atlanta, White racked up the most touchdowns in team history (63). He retired with the most receptions (808) and receiving yards (10,863). Julio Jones passed him up in both of those categories, but finished 3 shy of his touchdown record.
“The four-time Pro Bowler was a legitimate star before Jones arrived in 2011,” Knox wrote. “He then spent a half-decade paired with Jones to form one of the league’s most thrilling receiver tandems.”
White established himself as one of the league’s top receivers in the 4 seasons prior to Jones’ arrival. During the 4 seasons from 2007-2010, he caught 371 passes for 5,126 yards and 34 touchdowns. He earned 3 straight Pro Bowl nods (2008-2010) and his only All-Pro selection (First-Team) in 2010.
During their 5 seasons together, White and Jones combined for 792 catches, 10,986 yards and 60 touchdowns.
Falcons All-Time Iron Man Snubbed from Atlanta’s Mt. Rushmore since 2000
The 4th and final member of the Falcons Mt. Rushmore since 2000 was C Todd McClure. McClure played all 13 seasons in Atlanta as “a pillar of stability, class and sustained success at an important, yet often overlooked position,” according to the Falcons Ring of Honor website.
The Falcons note that McClure recorded 195 starts in 198 games, including a franchise-record 144 consecutive games from 2001-2010.
“The seventh-round pick in the 1999 draft missed his rookie season with a torn ACL before returning to start 195 games over 13 seasons,” Knox wrote. “His longevity and determination” were the determining factors behind McClure taking the 4th spot over other players like DT Grady Jarrett and LT Jake Matthews.
While McClure’s longevity is impressive, Falcons LT Jake Matthews has started 179 consecutive games, which is the franchise record. It’s also the longest active streak in the league. Matthews has consistently been one of the most effective pass blockers in the league, never earning below a 77.0 pass blocking grade from PFF after his rookie season.
He has remained one of the league’s most reliable blind-side protectors throughout his career. That should come in handy this year with a southpaw QB Michael Penix Jr. as their starter.
If he can continue his ‘Iron Man’ streak for another few seasons, while maintaining his high level of play, Matthews should have no problem unseating McClure for the final spot on the next version of the Falcons Mt. Rushmore.
Falcons All-Time Iron Man Snubbed from Atlanta’s Mt. Rushmore since 2000