5 NFL legends who could join Matt Ryan in taking over their old teams

Story byCory Woodroof, For The WinSat, January 10, 2026 at 11:39 PM UTC·2 min readThe Atlanta Falcons officially brought back franchise legend Matt Ryan to lead football operations on Saturday. The decision brings back the greatest Falcon to ever play in an Atlanta uniform to salvage the team from its eight-season playoff drought and restore winning ways to the franchise. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe decision made us think about what other NFL teams that have fallen on hard times could make a similar move. What other NFL legends could return to their teams and take the reins of the franchise?We've identified five players and put them back in control of their old teams. Let's dig into who they are and why their returns make a lot of sense. Indianapolis Colts: Peyton ManningPeyton Manning fist pumps after Lee Corso chooses Tennessee to defeat Alabama during ESPN's College GameDay show held outside of Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, Tenn.