Five seasons taking snaps from center Todd McClure wasn’t enough for Atlanta Falcons' president of football Matt Ryan. “Mud Duck” McClure and Ryan combined for 28 seasons in red and black, but now they're set to join forces once again, now that the Falcons' front office (led by Ryan) is hiring McClure.
McClure is set to join the front office under the title of Coordinator of Player Development/Senior Personnel Assistant, knowing as good or better than anyone what a winner in Atlanta looks like. And now he's set to play a key role as the Falcons embark on a new era with Matt Ryan calling the shots alongside Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham.
One of the more underrated parts of McClure’s extensive resume and experience with the Falcons? He played in the eras of former head coaches Dan Reeves, Jim Mora, Bobby Petrino (yikes), and Mike Smith. What works? What doesn’t? What must come and what must go for a franchise that has not seen the playoffs since 2017? He's sure going to help Stefanski and this staff find out.
Todd McClure is joining the Falcons' front office in a development role
With a consistent commitment to the franchise that once saw him set the franchise’s consecutive starts record, McClure is fifth on the Falcons all-time list of games played, trailing only Mike Kenn, Jeff Van Note, Ryan, and Jessie Tuggle. Owner Arthur Blank endorsed his trust in McClure at his retirement, "You deserve to be in that Ring of Honor, and we will get you there as soon as we can."
"McClure will support the club's player development program by coordinating cross-functional initiatives and assisting football leadership with player-focused and strategic projects," the team revealed.
The former LSU Tiger All-American and seventh-round NFL Draft pick made 195 starts across 13 seasons in Atlanta, and has become one of the best draft picks in franchise history. But that's not all.
McClure has previously endorsed the Stefanski hire (which his former QB helped lead) on social media:
Living in the now is a better conversation than “remember when?” So while this fanbase can revel in the nostalgic comfort and glory of Todd McClure and Matt Ryan’s glory days on the field, it’s time to enjoy them “earning it” with their continued leadership off it in shaping the next era of Atlanta Falcons football. And by hiring McClure, it makes the Ryan hire look even better.
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