Falcons owner Arthur Blank doesn't fully commit to Matt Ryan as QB

The Atlanta Falcons fell to 0-5 on Sunday with a 23-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers and responded by parting ways with coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. 

Owner Arthur Blank might be thinking about replacing his starting quarterback sooner rather than later. 

As Vaughn McClure of ESPN explained, Blank did not fully commit to 35-year-old QB Matt Ryan while speaking with reporters on Monday. 

"I love Matt, much like I love Dan, I love Thomas,'' Blank said. "Matt's been a franchise leader for us, great quarterback; one of the leading quarterbacks in the last 13 years in the NFL. I hope he's going to be part of our plans going forward. But that will be a decision that I won't make.

"Matt has the ability to play at a very high level, even at this age. Whether that's going to continue or not, I'm not sure. I appreciate his willingness to consider doing that and the level at what he's played for us for 13 years, which has been incredible. So we'll have to see. But then again, that's going to be a decision, at the end of the day, that part of it will be up to the player; part of it will be up to the coaching staff. And whether or not Matt can keep himself together. God willing, he'll be able to do that and play at the level that he's capable of playing at.''

Ryan is currently signed through the 2023 season and carries massive cap hits through the remainder of that deal, but a team theoretically could save money by moving on from him after the 2021 campaign. Ryan is a four-time Pro Bowl signal-caller but hasn't made such a squad since 2016. 

Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay told the media that a new GM will have control of personnel decisions and report to him. It's widely believed the team that finishes last in the overall NFL standings and "earns" the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft will select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 

Meanwhile, the New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Football Team are among franchises that could be interested in upgrading at the QB position next offseason. It's unknown if the Dallas Cowboys will retain Dak Prescott, who suffered a horrific season-ending ankle injury in Sunday's win over the Giants, for at least one more season. Prescott played under the franchise tag this year.