Despite fewer draft opportunities than most teams in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons made the most of what they had, but merely days after the event, they made an unexpected front office shake-up. The franchise parted ways with a key senior figure who had been at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the past five seasons.

“The Falcons and Senior Director of Football Administration Chris Olsen have parted ways, per sources,” reported Tom Pelissero of NFL Network Insider on X.

Olsen was hired in 2021 by the former Falcons general manager, Terry Fontenot. Throughout his career with the Red and Black, he negotiated contracts for some big players on the Falcons. Securing the huge contract extension of the right guard, Chris Lindstrom, was his biggest deal negotiation, as the five-year contract extension was valued at $102.5 million, paying him $20.5 million a year and turning him into the highest-paid guard in the league in 2023.

Olsen continued to show his negotiation proficiency the same year after the Falcons landed safety Jessie Bates through free agency. With the $64 million contract for four years, he became one of the top-earning safeties in the league, which included $36 million guaranteed money.

When the Falcons landed the veteran Kirk Cousins in 2024, Olsen and the Falcons gave him a $180 million for 4 seasons. But that did not work well as they had to release him after just one year. He is now with the Las Vegas Raiders, where it seems like he might have to come off the bench as he did for the Falcons.

Before the Falcons, he held the Senior VP of football administrations position with the Houston Texans for thirteen seasons from 2007 to 2019. He handled vital contract work for the franchise when things were not all that great in Houston.

While Olsen’s departure came right after a draft where the Falcons did alright, it was part of the wider shake-up in the management that has been taking place since the end of last season.

The Atlanta Falcons made other significant changes ahead of the 2026 season

The Atlanta Falcons legend, Matt Ryan, who played 15 seasons with the franchise and won four Pro Bowl honors, was recently hired in a newly created position. Leaving his position as a CBS analyst, he will now be serving as the President of Football for the team. His role will involve taking care of all things football and will report directly to the owner, Arthur Blank.

The general manager position is another significant change for the Falcons this season. They got rid of Terry Fontenot after five seasons, bringing in Ian Cunningham from the Chicago Bears. He previously worked for the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Lombardi Trophies in 2013 and 2018.

They also took a big shift in the coaching department. The franchise got rid of Raheem Morris after two seasons (2024 and 2025) and hired the former Cleveland Browns head coach, Kevin Stefanski. With no playoff appearance since 2017, the team will be hoping that the major changes will reverse their fortune and bring them back to the postseason picture.