The Atlanta Falcons already had their hands full with the James Pearce Jr. situation. And new head coach Kevin Stefanski has worked hard on getting his staff in place. However, the Falcons' defensive coordinator admitted that Mike Rutenberg going to the Browns is a “PhD-level” loss, according to a post on X by Josh Kendall.
“A big loss for the Falcons. Jeff Ulbrich: “He’s one of the best teachers in this league. He understands the back end at a PhD-plus level. He’s a huge part of our success back there. Whether he gets a coordinator job this season or next, it’s inevitable. He’s too good a coach.”
Rutenberg has taken over as the Browns’ defensive coordinator.
Falcons have challenges ahead for 2026
Ulbrich didn’t have the Falcons firing on all cylinders in 2025. They did well in the sack department. But they were No. 15 in yards allowed, and No. 19 in points.
But there’s a new direction in Atlanta. Not only with Stefanski, but also with Matt Ryan stepping into a key role. Ulbrich liked that move, according to atlantafalcons.com.
“I sat with Matt for six straight years on almost every away game and developed a really cool relationship with him about football, life, family,” Ulbrich said, “and everything in between. (The hiring of Ryan) is phenomenal. Because, obviously, he is one of the highest-level character human beings inside or outside of football that I've ever been around.”
Leadership is the key. And Ulbrich said Ryan brings that to the organization.
“It's been so cool to see him in this role because, does he know what it takes to be a Super Bowl quarterback?” Ulbrich said. “For sure, he does. He took us to a Super Bowl when he was an MVP for a season. He's played this game at the highest level. Does he know how to execute a game plan? Absolutely. It's proven over the course of his career. Does he know what being a winner looks like? Absolutely. He knows what that process looks like to create a winner.”
Of course, losing Rutenberg won’t help Ulbrich do his own job any easier. But Ryan could help the Falcons fill the void with another quality coach.
