ATLANTA — Two Atlanta Falcons legends will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor this year.
The team announced on Tuesday that longtime franchise quarterback Matt Ryan and distinguished owner Arthur Blank will enter the Falcons' exclusive club when they are enshrined during the 2024 season.
Ryan and Blank will be the 13th and 14th members inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor. The duo will forever be linked together in Falcons' franchise history due to the success the Falcons had on the field after Blank drafted Ryan in 2008 until Ryan retired as a Falcon in 2024.
“On behalf of the Atlanta Falcons, it is a privilege to recognize two of our franchise icons as they enter our Ring of Honor,” Atlanta Falcons President Greg Beadles said. “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."
“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," Beadles said.
Blank will be inducted and honored on Sept. 22 during Atlanta's Week 3 Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ryan will be inducted into the Ring of Honor two weeks later, during the Falcons' Oct. 3 Thursday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ryan was selected as the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and became the first quarterback drafted by the Falcons since they took Michael Vick No. 1 overall in the 2001 NFL Draft.
In his first season in 2008, Ryan made an instant impact in Atlanta. He quickly caught the attention of Falcons' fans after completing the first pass of his career to wide receiver Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown.
The Falcons made the playoffs in Ryan's first year. Atlanta was the No. 5 seed and took on the No. 4 seed Arizona Cardinals, who eventually won the NFC and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Ryan battled all game but the Cardinals won 30-24. Despite the loss, Ryan won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Ryan exploded in 2016 and led the team's greatest single-season offense. The Falcons led the NFL in scoring with 540 points, 71 more than the team with the second most and 99 more than the team with the third most.
Ryan would go on to steadily produce for the Falcons over the next five years of his Falcons career, leading them to one more playoff appearance in 2017, when they went out in the Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Over the course of his career, Ryan ranks No. 7 all-time in passing yards with 62,792. He garnered the nickname Matty Ice by completing 46 game-winning drives, marking the sixth most in NFL history.
Since Blank took over as the owner of the team in 2002, he quickly became one of the more trusted and powerful owners in the entire NFL. After he became owner, the Falcons' attendance rose from 30th in the league to 11th in the league at the Georgia Dome.
Blank helped revitalize the concession experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium by lowering food and beverage prices to the lowest of any NFL team. Due to that, Blank was recognized by the Sports Business Journal as its 2018 Sports Breakthrough of the Year.
The NFL Voice of the Fan survey rated the move as tops in the league in 2018, for which the Falcons have maintained that rating ever since, according to a press release issued by the Falcons.
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.
