INDIANAPOLIS — During the Atlanta Falcons’ formal interviews with defensive prospects at the 2026 NFL Combine, head coach Kevin Stefanski noticed an unusual sound in the room. As linebacker interviews proceeded, Stefanski observed Matt Ryan, former franchise quarterback, intently sketching plays beside him.
“Matt was doing what I was doing,” Stefanski said. “Which was when they were talking about the coverage we were thinking about ways to attack the coverage. So, Matt is scribbling some plays over there, very similar to me. You are listening, but you can’t turn off the Xs and Os brain. It’s just impossible.”
This moment reminded Stefanski of his experience at the 2008 scouting combine when he was an assistant for the Minnesota Vikings. That year, he witnessed Ryan walk into a combine interview as a draft prospect from Boston College. Now, nearly two decades later, both men are part of the Falcons’ efforts to evaluate new talent.
Eighteen years after that first encounter, Ryan is no longer being tested as a player but is helping shape team strategy alongside Stefanski. The dynamic has shifted: “The quarterback who once ‘aced’ his own combine interview is now helping run the room — still thinking two steps ahead, and still unable to turn off his Xs and Os brain.” According to Stefanski, “Only this time, he’s not trying to earn a job. He’s building one.”
The Atlanta Falcons have advanced to the Super Bowl twice—in 1998 and 2016—and compete in the NFL’s NFC South division (official website). The team began as an expansion franchise in 1965 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia (official website).
As Ryan transitions from prospect to architect within the organization, his continued focus on football strategy marks a new chapter for both himself and the Falcons.
