ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons aren’t just turning the page; they’re burning the whole book. Less than a month after firing general manager Terry Fontenot following a mediocre 8-9 finish to the 2025 season, the organization severed its final tie to the old regime on Sunday. Ryan Pace, the Vice President of Football Operations and a close ally of Fontenot, has been relieved of his duties.
The move clears the deck for newly hired General Manager Ian Cunningham, who arrived from Chicago last week with a mandate to fix a roster that has teased potential but failed to deliver playoffs. With team legend-turned-executive Matt Ryan confirming Cunningham has total control over the 53-man roster, Pace’s exit was the inevitable final domino.
Pace’s departure signals the end of an awkward transition period. Originally brought in during the 2022 offseason, Pace climbed the ladder from senior personnel executive to VP of Operations by 2024. But his tenure was inextricably linked to Fontenot. When the Falcons collapsed down the stretch in 2025—despite winning their final four games to save face—ownership decided partial changes weren’t enough.
Tom Pelissero confirmed the split, noting that while Pace was “highly thought of,” his connection to the fired GM made him a relic of a failed strategy. Pace, the former Bears GM (2015-2021), leaves behind a complicated legacy. He built the ferocious 2018 Bears defense that went 12-4 but also authored the Mitch Trubisky draft blunder. In Atlanta, he was a key voice in the room during a stretch where the Falcons simply couldn’t escape mediocrity.
The pressure now shifts entirely to Ian Cunningham. The former Bears assistant GM steps into a difficult situation: the Falcons have zero first-round picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
That missing asset is the cost of doing business for James Pearce Jr., the edge rusher Atlanta aggressively moved up to snag in 2025. While Pearce showed flashes of elite bend and burst in his rookie campaign, the bill has come due. Cunningham must now navigate his first draft in the big chair with one hand tied behind his back.
Matt Ryan, speaking to CBS Sports, didn’t mince words about the power dynamic.
“Ian’s in charge,” Ryan said. “Ian is driving this boat. I’ve never sat in a draft meeting… so Monday’s going to be the first time. I’m sitting, observing, being a fly on the wall.”
“We know the talent is here. We see it every day in practice. But ‘talent’ doesn’t put points on the board or stop a 3rd-and-long. It’s about execution, and frankly, we didn’t execute when it mattered most last year.” — Grady Jarrett, Falcons Defensive Tackle (via The Athletic)
The elephant in the room remains Michael Penix Jr. The lefty quarterback enters his third year with major questions marks. Is he the franchise savior, or another bridge to nowhere?
Matt Ryan avoided naming a starter for 2026, deferring to head coach Kevin Stefanski. However, Ryan’s endorsement of Penix was notable. He praised Penix’s “ability to layer the football” and drive it to all levels of the field.
Stefanski, entering his first full offseason with the team, faces a defining choice. If he sticks with Penix, he needs to tailor the offense to the QB’s vertical passing strengths. If he pivots, Cunningham will have to work magic in free agency with limited cap flexibility.
With the draft capital depleted, expect Cunningham to be aggressive in the second and third waves of free agency. His background with the Eagles and Ravens suggests a philosophy of building from the trenches out—a stark contrast to the previous regime’s obsession with skill-position flash.
For Falcons fans, the message is clear: The rebuild isn’t coming; it’s here. And this time, there are no holdovers left to blame.
