Falcons GM Terry Fontenot 'Very Excited' About New Coach Ryan Nielsen

Former New Orleans Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen is the new defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. Here's why general manager Terry Fontenot is buzzing about it.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 2, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Terry Fontenot spent nearly two decades with the rival New Orleans Saints before becoming the Atlanta Falcons' general manager in 2021.

During part of his tenure, he collaborated alongside new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who has been a defensive assistant for the team since 2017.

“Obviously I spent time with him in New Orleans, and we have some coaches (who were) with him in college," Fontenot said. "And so we know the person he is and the man he is, and I'm very excited to have him here. He has a very clear vision of what we have here, how to continue to develop the players here and how to continue to add competition. Very excited about Ryan.”

Nielsen, 43, specializes with the defensive line, but his vision for the defense as a whole was a big part of why Fontenot and the front office agreed to bring him aboard over the other candidates.

The Falcons have struggled on the defensive line in recent years, specifically in the pass rushing department. Atlanta ranked dead last in the league in sacks in 2021 and 31st this past season.

“He has a plan for the whole defense and whether we're talking about the back end, the interior, the edge, everything, like he has a clear plan for how we want to continue to build a team," Fontenot said about Nielsen. "But we're going to always prioritize the front. I mean, we just talked about the trenches, that's where games are won and lost.”

Prioritizing the trenches is smart, and Nielsen is arguably the best guy to help boost the front line. Nielsen has worked directly with developing defensive linemen, most notably Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson, both of whom have made multiple Pro Bowls.

If that's the potential the Falcons could reach, Fontenot's excitement is validated.

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Published Feb 2, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.