Matt Ryan, the Falcons' new president of football, hopes to lead the team back to the playoffs. Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images

Matt Ryan, the Atlanta Falcons’ recently hired president of football, discussed his new role publicly for the first time Sunday during his final appearance in his former job.

Ryan, an analyst on “The NFL Today” pregame show on CBS, said he is hopeful his colleagues will be discussing the Falcons at this time next season.

“I think that’s the vision for where we want to be,” he said. “You want to be in the mix and in the playoffs. It’s been too long there. We’re going to work really hard and find the right people to get us back into position to be that successful.”

Ryan is already leading Atlanta’s search for a new coach. He participated in interviews Saturday with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

“Football is about the people. The building is about the people,” Ryan said Sunday on CBS. “There are a lot of really good people in that building that are already there. I am fortunate to be in this position. (I’m) excited about the opportunity and ready to get started.”

Best of luck to our guy Matt Ryan ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1EUmmTaJll

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2026

CBS announcer Jim Nantz congratulated Ryan on his move and predicted it would lead to a turnaround in Atlanta.

“We’re going to miss you, man. I’m so proud of what you have done in three years at CBS,” Nantz said. “Good for the Atlanta Falcons. They know what they are doing. … I know you’ll get things rolling. I’m sure we’ll be there many times in the future.”

Josh Kendall , a Georgia native, has been following the Falcons since Jeff Van Note was the richly bearded face of the franchise. For 20 years before joining The Athletic NFL staff, he covered football in the SEC. He also covers golf for The Athletic. Follow Josh on Twitter @JoshTheAthletic