5 players who should be in the Falcons Ring of Honor

The Atlanta Falcons announced that wide receiver Roddy White will join the prestigious Falcons Ring of Honor. The Falcons don’t officially retire jersey numbers, but instead honor certain players who made an impact on the franchise. Players already in the Falcons Ring of Honor include: William Andrews, Steve Bartkowski, Tommy Nobis, Jessie Tuggle, Jeff Van Note, Mike Kenn, Claude Humphrey, Deion Sanders, Gerald Riggs, and Warrick Dunn.

I thought it would be a good idea to mention five players who should join the Falcons Ring of Honor in the future. I’m excluding current players such as Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

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TE Tony Gonzalez (2009-2013)

When asked who the best tight end to ever play football was, a lot of people will say Tony Gonzalez. The Pro Football Hall of Fame member has a long list of accolades which should be enough to let him in. He’s already in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, so it’s only right that he’s inducted into ours. In his five seasons as a Falcon, Tony G made four Pro Bowls was a First Team All-Pro. His stats include 409 receptions, 4,187 yards, and 35 touchdowns. To me, this is a no-brainer.

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C Todd McClure (2000-2012)

Thanks to his toughness, technique, and proven ability to help open holes for some great runners, Todd McClure is arguably one of the best offensive lineman in franchise history. “Mud Duck” was selected in the 7th round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and went on to anchor the Falcons offensive line for over a decade, making him one of the franchises best draft selections. During his retirement press conference in 2013, owner Arthur Blank said, “You deserve to be in that Ring of Honor, and we will get you there as soon as we can.” — It’s time.

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RB Michael Turner (2008-2012)

“The Burner” Turner is definitely one of the best free agent acquisitions in recent Falcons history. Turner was spectacular as an Atlanta Falcon, especially in that initial 2008 season where he was a First-Team All-Pro selection, and totaled 1,699 rushing yards and a league-leading 17 rushing touchdowns. He has the second-most rushing yards in Falcons history, trailing Gerald Riggs by 551, but Turner played in 16 fewer games. His numbers support the argument that he’s the best running back in franchise history, but his impact on the development of a young Matt Ryan cannot go unmentioned.

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DE John Abraham (2006-2012)

The most sacks in franchise history belong to John Abraham. For several years, Abe was the Falcons’ only quality pass rusher, and deserves some serious consideration. For many fans, Abraham is remembered as the last great Falcons pass rusher, and you can’t blame them. In his seven seasons as a Falcon, Abe made the Pro-Bowl twice and was a First Team All-Pro selection.

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K Matt Bryant (2009-2018)

Yes, a kicker should be in the Falcons Ring of Honor. They’re people too, and this person happens to have the most points scored in the history of the Atlanta Falcons. For a decade, “Money” provided the team with an assurance that when we needed a field goal in a big moment, Matt Bryant was there to save the day. If you look back at many Matt Ryan moments, some are due to the leg of Matt Bryant. In Atlanta, he made 88.7% of his kicks, nailed 250 field goals, and converted 372 of 375 extra points.

Honorable Mentions: RB Jamal Anderson, QB Michael Vick, DT Jonathan Babineaux, DE Chuck Smith, K Morten Andersen.

Everyone will have differing opinions, so make sure to comment with your top-5 that deserve to be in the Falcons Ring of Honor.