Matt Ryan is partly the reason Kyle Pitts is highly regarded as among the best athletic tight ends in the NFL. In his rookie season, Pitts caught 68 passes for 1026 yards and scored one touchdown.
That's the only time Pitts crossed 1000 yards in his league career, and it's all thanks to Ryan.
The veteran signal caller left the Atlanta Falcons right after Pitts' rookie season ended. Pitts recorded 600 yards twice and 300 yards in an injury-hit 2020 season.
Ryan spent one year with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring from football in 2024. After trying out broadcasting for one year, the Falcons hired the 41-year-old as the club's new President of Football in January.
Ryan is settling into his new role nicely. Despite the change in worksheet, Pitts revealed that Ryan is the same kind of leader now that he was then.
[Matt Ryan] still talks the same. He's just in a different role. He's still the same person. I feel like he's wrapping me tighter under his wing, from a different perspective as a front office guy now. But he just has a different role. He's still leading the team in some sort of way, but just not physically.
Kyle Pitts said (H/T NBC Sports)Ryan won MVP in the 2016 season when he led Atlanta to the Super Bowl. Atlanta came close to its first Super Bowl, only to be ruined by the New England Patriots. Ryan owns every Falcons passing record and went to the Pro Bowl four times.
Ryan's role as President of Football includes overseeing all aspects of football for the organization, reporting directly to team owner Arthur Blank while collaborating with Falcons President and CEO Greg Beadles.
Ryan played a key role in the Falcons' search for a new head coach after Raheem Morris was fired following an 8-9 campaign. The Falcons replaced Morris with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Even though his job profile doesn't require him to get his hands dirty, Ryan still takes it upon himself to act like he's still part of the locker room. And it's not just Pitts who has noticed Ryan's influence.
Jahan Dotson, whom the Falcons signed in free agency this year, said Ryan is the 'first one up' when an extra arm is needed in drills.
It is honestly pretty cool. You get the legend of Atlanta to be out here and participating, throwing, catching passes from him, individual drills.
Dotson said (H/T ESPN)Ryan sorted out the quarterback conundrum by signing free agent Tua Tagovailoa after he was released by the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins, paying a chunk of his 2026 salary. Tua is the beneficiary of having a former top quarterback in the building.
It's not every day where you get a former player and former player of that caliber out at organizational practices, let alone the organization that he's done so well for.
Tagovailoa saidEven though Pitts never really hit the same heights as his rookie season, the Falcons still picked up his fifth-year option ahead of the 2024 season. When his rookie contract ended in 2025, the Falcons placed a franchise tag on the former Florida man.
Talks continued regarding a long-term extension. Other NFL teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, showed interest in trading for Pitts. He eventually opted to sign the tag. According to Spotrac, Pitts will earn $15.014 million in 2026, an amount that's fully guaranteed.
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