Matt Schaub returns to Falcons again, this time as a football analyst

Matt Schaub began his playing career as an Atlanta Falcon and ended it as an Atlanta Falcon, with a few stops in between. Now he’ll continue to be part of the Falcons organization in 2023, just without the possibility of him entering a game in relief of the starting quarterback.

Credit goes to the eagle-eyed Daniel Flick for first noticing and reporting on this, but the team has added Schaub to their coaching staff. Schaub had been seen at Falcons camp this past week, and the team has now listed him as a football analyst on their coaching staff page. In that role, Schaub will likely bring his wealth of NFL experience to bear to help the team prepare gameplans and break down opponents.

It’s natural to wonder whether he might also lend a hand with quarterback coaching duties, at least in some very small ways, given that Dave Ragone is currently pulling double duty as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after Charles London took a passing game coordinator gig in Tennessee. Schaub certainly should have something to offer Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke after putting together a 16 year NFL career as a starter and backup, including a pair of Pro Bowl nods during a productive run with the Houston Texans. That’s mere speculation on our parts, though, however logical the fit may be.

Schaub was originally a third round pick for the Falcons in 2004, one of those rare third round quarterback success stories. Traded to the Houston Texans in 2007 shortly before everything imploded for Atlanta, Schaub would lead the NFL in completions, passing attempts, and yardage in 2009 and made two Pro Bowls in seven years as a starter in Houston. He then had a fine career as a backup the rest of his long career, ending up back in Atlanta and setting the single season record for completions (39) in an unexpected spot start for an injured Matt Ryan in 2019. He retired in 2021 after spending five more seasons in Atlanta, the kind of full-circle career that made Schaub a bit of a minor legend in Atlanta.

Now he’s back again, launching a coaching career that he likely hopes will someday take him into coaching quarterbacks or even entire offenses. We wish him well and we’re glad to see him back.