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Falcons owner hopes Ryan remains but that 'won't be a decision I make'

Todd Kirkland / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Atlanta Falcons are set to begin a new era after firing head coach Dan Quinn, and team owner Arthur Blank hopes it will include quarterback Matt Ryan.

"I love Matt," Blank said Monday, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. "I hope he's going to be part of our plans going forward but that won't be a decision I make."

Blank added that decision also will be "partly up to the player."

The Falcons will move forward with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as interim head coach. Longtime executive Rich McKay will lead the franchise's front office on an interim basis as the replacement for general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who was also fired Sunday.

Ryan joined Atlanta as the third overall pick in 2008 and quickly became one of football's most reliable starting quarterbacks, posting a 109-85 regular-season record. He was named league MVP in 2016 and led the Falcons to the Super Bowl in the same campaign. He's signed through 2024 after inking a massive five-year, $150-million contract extension in 2018.

However, the 35-year-old hasn't been able to put up winning seasons recently. He owns a 14-22 record dating back to the 2018 campaign, including an 0-5 start this year.

Additionally, the Falcons are expected to have salary-cap issues next season, which could make the team move some of its veteran players.

"This will not be a situation where we're going to pre-determinate the roster for the next head coach and general manager," McKay said Monday, per ESPN's Vaughn McClure.

McKay continued: "We have a lot of really good football players paid at a very high level. ... That said, I've always believed (that) salary cap is something you can maneuver around, (that) you can work within, and you can operate within."

Ryan's contract features an opt-out after the 2021 season with $26.5 million in dead money, according to Spotrac. If the four-time Pro Bowler is cut before that date, he'd cost almost $50 million in dead cap for Atlanta.

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