The Atlanta Falcons' head coaching search has ramped up a little slower than fans expected, but it's good they're taking their time. Part of it was because of the major setback from earlier this week, but regardless, it's still encouraging to see that new president of football Matt Ryan is taking his time to vet potential candidates.
In his first offseason back in Atlanta, Ryan is being tasked with finding a new GM and head coach, a process which has no end in sight. Early frontrunners have started to surface for both positions, but there's no immediate leader in the pack like John Harbaugh was with the New York Giants' opening.
Matty Ice is a very connected individual, and he's putting those connections to use early in the search for new leadership. He's especially connected to Kyle Shanahan, who was his play-caller during his 2016 MVP season, which is an avenue the Dirty Birds could go down for their new coach and GM.
Josh Williams, not Ian Cunningham, is the new favorite to be the Falcons' next GM
The Falcons have yet to conduct a single GM interview, so the only intel we currently have on the search is that some of the president of football candidates could be involved. Other than that, we're truly at square one, but Ryan's friendship with Bears' GM Ryan Poles saw an early frontrunner surface.
Poles' right-hand man, Ian Cunningham, has a pretty strong track record, but it's no guarantee the job is his. Reports hace surfaced that 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams is becoming the new favorite for the GM post, which was first reported by NFL pundit Chad Forbes.
Multiple people I’ve spoken with believe Matt Ryan will hire Klint Kubiak as the next Falcons Head Coach. Ties to the Shanahan tree and the perfect offense for Penix. 49ers Josh Williams is seen as the favorite for GM.
— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) January 15, 2026
Waiting for Seahawks season to conclude out of respect.
Williams comes from a background in scouting and player development, but he's also been in San Francisco's front office for 14 seasons. There have also been some rumblings that his interview for Ryan's position went well, but he'll likely sit down with the team again for an official GM interview.
Additionally, Williams was a finalist for Miami's GM job that went to Jon-Eric Sullivan and the GM position in Jacksonville last offseason, but was passed over for James Gladstone. He's clearly very well-respected in both league circles and in the 49ers' front office, so this seems like a good move.
Forbes also reported that alongside Williams, Klint Kubiak is the favorite to be the next head coach. Kubiak has a track record of elevating several different offenses, but his work in Seattle this season has been proof he would work wonders with Michael Penix Jr. and an offense filled with talent.
The main hiccup that Forbes reported is that Atlanta has to wait for the Seahawks' season to end to strike, which could happen as soon as tomorrow night. Aside from that, the 38-year-old is the most Ben Johnson-esque candidate of this coaching cycle, so this would be a true home run move.
Forbes isn't known to be ths most reliable source, so take this with a grain of salt. That said, hiring Williams would be great, but hiring Williams and Kubiak would be sensational. If this is true, Arthur Blank will have handled this offseason perfectly in terms of setting the Falcons up for success.