The Atlanta Falcons made a major front-office move Saturday, hiring franchise legend Matt Ryan as the team’s new president of football, a role that will oversee the organization’s football operation, including the hires of a new general manager and head coach.
And almost immediately, the first big coaching ripple connected Atlanta to Seattle.
Seahawks blogger Brian Nemhauser weighed in on the news and suggested Ryan’s hire could meaningfully increase the chances that Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak winds up as Atlanta’s next head coach.
“I do believe Ryan taking this job for Atlanta greatly increases the chances that Klint Kubiak will be the next Falcons head coach,” Nemhauser said, adding: “Time will tell.”
Falcons’ Matt Ryan hire adds new pressure to the head-coach search
Ryan’s new position is significant because it reshapes the Falcons’ chain of command. The team announced Ryan will oversee football operations and that the next head coach and general manager will report to him.
That’s where Nemhauser’s point lands: if Ryan is effectively steering the process (and setting the vision for the franchise), it could influence the type of coach Atlanta prioritizes, including coaches with offensive backgrounds and system fits Ryan believes in.
Atlanta’s coaching search is already active. The Falcons requested an interview with Kubiak as part of their early head-coach process, and Kubiak’s name has been hot in head coaching rumors for months. Other teams, like the New York Giants, have been reported to desire Kubiak, too.
Why Seattle fans are watching this one closely
Kubiak has only been in Seattle a short time, but he’s already become a hot name on the carousel after the Seahawks hired him as offensive coordinator in January 2025.
For the Seahawks, any real traction between Atlanta and Kubiak would instantly become a “what happens next” story, because it’s not just about losing a coordinator. It’s about the downstream effects on:
- Seattle’s offensive continuity (scheme, terminology, QB development)
- The staff pipeline under head coach Mike Macdonald
- The offseason plan for roster building on offense
What Nemhauser’s read could mean and what’s still unknown
Nemhauser’s comment is worth watching because it frames Ryan’s hire as more than a feel-good reunion. It suggests Ryan could become an “identity setter” quickly, which might elevate certain candidates in the room.
But there are two important caveats:
- This isn’t a report that a hire is imminent. It’s an opinion connecting dots after a major front-office decision.
- Atlanta still has a full search to run. Even with Ryan in place, the Falcons can (and likely will) interview multiple candidates before anything becomes final.
That’s why this sits squarely in the “pressure moment” zone for Seattle: the Falcons’ hire created a fresh inflection point, and Kubiak’s name is already in the public mix.
What happens next
If Atlanta proceeds with interviews, the next news hooks to monitor are straightforward:
- Confirmation of Kubiak interview timing (and any follow-up meetings)
- Any reporting on finalists as the Falcons narrow the list
- Any Seahawks comments indicating how real the possibility is
And if Kubiak does advance with Atlanta, Seattle fans will immediately pivot to one question: who would be next in line to coordinate the offense?
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