Over the weekend, the Falcons welcomed back Matt Ryan to Flowery Branch for his first visit since he was traded a couple of offseasons ago. However, it’s another former Falcons quarterback that is joining the coaching staff — Matt Schaub.
The news comes from Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated as Schaub assumed a football analyst role.
After being drafted by Atlanta in 2004, the third-round pick has been an NFL journeyman following his first three seasons with the Falcons, spending most of his career with the Texans.
He was traded from Atlanta to Houston in 2007, where he would go on to prove to be one of the better quarterbacks in football en route to a pair of Pro Bowl appearances as well as a bevy of franchise records across the next seven seasons.
Following his time in Houston, Schaub returned to his illustrious backup career in Oakland and Baltimore before returning to Atlanta in 2016 where it all started. He spent the next four seasons with the Falcons before retiring following the COVID 2020 season.
Now, he’s back where it all started, mentoring Desmond Ridder as the third-round pick looks to establish himself as the Falcons’ next franchise quarterback. Though he’s not a position coach, it seems possible that Schaub eventually earns the title of quarterback coach.
It’s good to see familiar faces around Flowery Branch, and Matt Schaub is certainly a fan favorite. The Falcons new regime has done a great job building a culture for these alumni to feel comfortable coming back to contribute in any capacity.
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