Arthur Blank, Matt Ryan to be Inducted in Falcons Ring of Honor

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and longtime quarterback Matt Ryan are set to be inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and former quarterback Matt Ryan will be inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

via Atlanta Falcons Communications:

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Atlanta Falcons Owner and Chairman, Arthur M. Blank, and former quarterback Matt Ryan will be enshrined in the Falcons Ring of Honor during the 2024 season, the club announced today. The duo, inextricably linked in the history of the franchise, will become the 13th and 14th members of the club’s ring of honor. Blank will be honored on Sept. 22 during Atlanta’s Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs to be featured on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Ryan will be celebrated on Oct. 3, during the Falcons Week 5 Thursday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be aired on Amazon Prime.

“On behalf of the Atlanta Falcons, it is a privilege to recognize two of our franchise icons as they enter our Ring of Honor,” said Greg Beadles, President of the Atlanta Falcons. “Since Arthur purchased the team in 2002, results on and off the field have elevated, and his unwavering dedication to the fans and city of Atlanta is worthy of this recognition and so much more,” Beadles continued. “Matt’s character and talent on and off the field sets him apart as one of the greatest Falcons players ever, and we believe we’ll see his career recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the future. We look forward to celebrating Arthur and Matt this fall and honoring their immeasurable impact on our franchise.”

Blank, who acquired the team in 2002, has raised the bar and level of expectation for the Falcons as the team’s chief steward and quickly became a trusted leadership voice within the National Football League.  Perhaps best known as co-founder of The Home Depot, Blank rapidly applied his successful, non-negotiable customer and fan-first businesses model from HD into his approach as a team and stadium owner. Blank’s journey to Falcons ownership started as a fan, then as a believer, in what was possible for the city of Atlanta and the Atlanta Falcons.

Recently honored as the recipient of Sports Business Journal’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, Blank redefined the fan experience, and in his first season as owner, the Falcons attendance at the Georgia Dome rose to nearly 69,000 fans per game, going from 30th in the league to 11th. After playing in the Georgia Dome for 25 years, the Falcons moved into a new home inside the world-class Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

With Blank at the helm, the Falcons have earned eight postseason berths, including trips to the NFC Championship Game in 2004, 2012 and 2016, three NFC South Division crowns and a trip to Super Bowl LI. In 2010 and 2012, the Falcons posted NFC-best 13-3 records. In 2016, the Falcons made their second Super Bowl appearance. Atlanta’s winning percentage has been raised significantly under Blank’s leadership, climbing over .500 since 2002 after sitting at just .394 in the club’s first 35 years of existence.

It was at MBS where Blank redefined the global stadium food and beverage experience with its innovative, fan-first pricing, recognized by SBJ as the 2018 Sports Breakthrough of the Year, followed by a No. 1 rating in the NFL Voice of the Fan survey, which the team has maintained in that category every year since. The stadium has now become a premiere destination for the world’s biggest events in sports, highlighted by an eight-game slate in the coming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Recognized in Forbes magazine's 100 Greatest Living Business Minds, and a prominent voice within the NFL, Blank has served, and continues to serve, on several league committees throughout his ownership tenure including the finance committee, compensation committee, diversity, equity and inclusion committee, social justice committee and workplace diversity committee. With his fan-first approach, Blank is a sought-after thought leader when comes to league decisions.

With community at the forefront of Blank’s priorities, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has granted more than $1 billion to various causes, largely in metro Atlanta, and leads the giving programs for the Atlanta Falcons, including its commitment to youth and girls flag football, and helping to revitalize the neighboring, historical Westside of Atlanta.

Ryan’s imprint on the Falcons is unmistakable. He will forever be linked to the franchise after lifting it from one of its lowest points to some of its highest moments.

Ryan spent 14 seasons in Atlanta, leading the Falcons to the postseason five times including two NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance. He set franchise records for career passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73). Ryan also set a litany of single-game and single-season records during his time with the Falcons. He led Atlanta to a 120-102 (.541) regular season record and missed just three games over his career with the club.

Ryan led the Falcons on 46 game-winning drives during his career, which ranked sixth among all passers dating back to 1950 at the time of his retirement. The signal-caller started 154 consecutive games from the end of his sophomore season in 2009 to Week 8 of the 2019 season, a franchise record that stood until Jake Matthews surpassed it in 2023. Ryan’s 222 starts rank third in franchise annals behind Mike Kenn (251) and Jeff Van Note (225), the only players who spent more seasons in the red and black than Ryan.

Selected with the third-overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Boston College, Ryan made an immediate impact on the Falcons. After finishing the 2007 season with a 4-12 record, Atlanta was in a difficult position that many believed would take years to recover from.

Enter Ryan, who tossed a 60-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins on his first NFL pass attempt. Bolstered by a powerful running game via free agent signing Michael Turner, Ryan helped lead the Falcons to an 11-5 record and the club’s first postseason berth since 2004.

For his performance, Ryan was named the offensive rookie of the year by both the Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America. He also garnered rookie of the year honors from the Sporting News.

Despite missing two games late in the season in 2009, Atlanta went 9-5 in games that Ryan started, 9-7 overall, which gave the club its first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history.

Ryan had a breakout season in 2010, earning the first of four Pro Bowl selections after leading Atlanta to a 13-3 record, an NFC South title and the top seed in the NFC. He threw for 3,705 yards with 28 touchdowns and a 91.0 passer rating. At the time, Ryan also tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the most wins by a quarterback in his first three seasons (33) since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

The 2010 season would see the start of three consecutive playoff berths for Atlanta, including a pair of top seeds (2010 and 2012). In 2011, Ryan broke the franchise record for passing yards for the first time with 4,177 yards, topping Jeff George (4,143), while adding 29 touchdown passes with a 92.9 passer rating. It also marked the first time the Falcons reached the postseason in consecutive seasons in team history. At the time, Ryan’s 43 wins over his first four seasons were the second most by a QB since the merger.

Ryan continued to evolve as a passer over his career, taking the next step in 2012 when he set club records for passing yards (4,719), pass attempts (615), completions (422), touchdown passes (32) and 300-yard games (7). He earned his second Pro Bowl nod after leading the Falcons to a 13-3 record, an NFC South title and the top seed in the NFC. 

Ryan’s best season came in 2016 when he earned first-team All-Pro honors after leading the Falcons to the club’s second NFC title and Super Bowl appearance. He became the first player in team history to be selected as NFL MVP and was also named offensive player of the year by the Associated Press. Ryan set career and franchise highs throwing for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns while completing 69.9 percent of his passes and boasting a 117.1 quarterback rating.

The Falcons returned to the playoffs again in 2017 under Ryan’s leadership as the veteran signal caller guided the team to a Wild Card win. He threw for more than 4,000 yards for the seventh consecutive season and became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 40,000 passing yards, accomplishing the feat in 151 career games. He nearly matched his MVP production in 2018, throwing for 4,924 yards with 35 touchdowns and a 108.1 passer rating, all of which were the second-best marks of his career.

From 2011 to 2020, Ryan strung together 10 straight seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards, the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Drew Brees (12). Ryan also threw at least 20 touchdowns in each of his final 13 seasons in Atlanta, the third-longest streak in league history. He finished his Falcons career with the eighth-most passing yards in NFL history and the most passing yards by a player in their first 14 seasons in league annals with 59,735.

 

Ryan’s impact extended beyond the field as he was named the Falcons Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee in 2016 for his community service activities. Ryan developed a special bond with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta during his time with the Falcons raising funds for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center through his celebrity-am golf tournament and other activities. Ryan raised awareness for “Miracle Babies” at Atlanta’s Northside Hospital and the March of Dimes after he and his wife’s twin boys were born prematurely and spent extended time in the neonatal intensive care unit.

 

In 2020, Ryan and his wife, Sarah, launched ATL: Advance the Lives with a mission to alleviate structural barriers to Black youth success and combat systemic barriers Black youth face by partnering with out-of-school time programs and local organizations to build long-term community engagement. The Ryan’s raised $1.3 million through their initial GoFundMe campaign and continue to strive towards making meaningful and sustainable impact on the community.

 

Other members of the Falcons Ring of Honor are Steve Bartkowski, Deion Sanders, Warrick Dunn, William Andrews, Gerald Riggs, Jeff Van Note, Jessie Tuggle, Tommy Nobis, Todd McClure, Mike Kenn, Roddy White and Claude Humphrey.