Top 10 Atlanta Falcons of All Time

The Atlanta Falcons became an NFL franchise in 1966, and the team has had many notable stars in their 58-year history. Today, we attempt to rank the top 10 players in Falcons history. 

10. Todd McClure, C, 2000-2012

McClure played 13 seasons with the Falcons, and despite never winning any awards, leading the league in any categories, or being inducted into the team’s ring of honor, his steady presence and leadership warrant a spot on this list. McClure amassed 97 AV over his time with Atlanta, making him the sixth most valuable player in franchise history, according to pro football reference. 

McClure was the starting center during six playoff runs, and helped lead the offensive line that protected young star QB Matt Ryan as he developed in the NFL. He started 195 games in Atlanta. 

9. Steve Bartkowski, QB, 1975-1985

Despite his retirement nearly 40 years ago, Bartkowski is second all-time for the Falcons in nearly every major passing category. 23,470 passing yards, 154 touchdowns, 1,871 completions, and 55 quarterback wins. In his eleven years as the Falcons starting quarterback, Bartkowski led the team to the playoffs three times and was a Pro Bowler twice. 

His best season came in 1980, when he led the Falcons to a 12-4 record. He led the NFL with 31 touchdowns and four game-winning drives. That was enough for him to finish third in MVP voting. Bartkowski later would lead the league in passer rating in 1983 (97.6) and completion percentage in 1984 (67.3). He was one of the earliest members of the Falcons Ring of Honor.

8. Deion Sanders, CB, 1989-1993

Had “Primetime” Deion Sanders played with the Falcons for more than five years, he would surely rank higher on their all-time list, but it’s impossible to leave him off entirely because the talent was so unbelievable. 

Sanders, who is now the controversial head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, finished his time in Atlanta with 24 interceptions (averaging 4.8 per-season). More impressive were his 520 yards-after-interception, which ranks third all-time in Falcons history. He scored three touchdowns (second all-time) while forcing seven fumbles and recovering six. 

Deion also made an impact as a returner. He was a prolific speedster who compiled over 4,000 return yards across five seasons. His 789 punt return yards rank fifth in team history, and his 3,388 kick return yards rank third. He leads all Falcons with five return touchdowns (two punt returns, three kick returns), averaging one return touchdown per season. 

Sanders went on to play five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, and also spent time with the 49ers and Ravens. Additionally, he was a multi-sport athlete who also played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. He is a member of the Falcons Ring of Honor and the NFL Hall of Fame. 

7. Jessie Tuggle, MLB, 1987-2000

One of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, Tuggle was nicknamed the Hammer during his fourteen years in Atlanta. He was a five-time Pro Bowler who led the league in tackled four times. His 1,805 combined tackles rank fourth in NFL history and first in Falcons history. 

He also forced ten fumbles, recovered ten fumbles, and recorded 21 sacks. From 1989-1999, he missed only six starts in eleven seasons. 

Tuggle played a leading role in the Falcons run to the Super Bowl in 1999. He led all defenders with 21 postseason tackles in three games. 

6. Roddy White, WR, 2005-2015

Roddy White was one of the best receivers in Falcons history, amassing 10,863 yards, 808 receptions, and 63 touchdowns. The latter mark still leads the Falcons all-time. In 2008, he established a connection with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, which lead to a four year run as one of the NFL’s most dominant receivers. 

White was a Pro Bowler four straight years, lead the league in receptions in 2010, and caught at least seven touchdowns every year from 2008-2012. He also caught three playoff touchdowns in five games. 

He averaged 13.4 yards-per-reception and 63.5 yards-per-game. His 107 AV ranks fifth in Falcons history.

5. Jeff Van Note, C, 1969-1986

Jeff Van Note gave the Falcons 18 seasons, 16 as their starting center. Over that time he was a six-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All Pro. 

Though he was initially drafted a linebacks, Van Note would go on to become one of the most valuable offensive lineman of all time, accumulating 115 AV. His 225 starts rank second in Falcons history behind fellow offensive lineman Mike Kenn, and he impressively missed only four starts throughout his 16 years as their starting center. 

Van Note would go on to serve as a color commentator for the Falcons, and now takes part in the pre-game and post-game shows for Falcon’s radio broadcasts. He is a member of the Falcons Ring of Honor. 

4. Mike Kenn, LT, 1978-1994

Kenn is the Falcons all-time leader in games started, having made 251 starts over his 17-year career in Atlanta. In his early years, he was consistently among the top-ranked tackles in the league, being named to five Pro Bowls and five All-Pro team's. 

His AV of 139 ranks third all-time in Falcons history, making him the most valuable lineman in Falcons history. He is a member of the Falcons Ring of Honor and a member of the Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

3. Julio Jones, WR, 2011-2020

Julio Jones was among the NFL’s top receivers during his decade in the league. He leads the Falcons all-time in receiving yards (12,896), receptions (848), and yards-per-game (95.5), while his 60 touchdowns rank second. 

Jones also caught six touchdowns in the playoffs, including three during the Falcons 2016 Super Bowl run. He led the NFL in receiving yards twice (2015, 2018), yards-per-game three times (2015, 2016, 2018), and yard-from-scrimmage in 2015. 

Jones had one of the greatest primes of any wide receiver. From 2014-2019, he was a Pro Bowler in each year and an All-Pro in five of six years. He averaged 1,565 yards, 104 receptions, six touchdowns 15.1 yards-per-receptions, 102 yard-per-game during that six-year stretch. 

In his post-Atlanta career, Jones struggled to find his footing, spending a year with the Titans, Buccaneers, and Eagles. 

2. Claude Humphrey, DE, 1968-1978

Out of all the Hall-of-Famers to play for the Falcons, Claude Humphrey spent the most time in Atlanta. In his ten seasons as a Falcons, Humphrey was among the top edge rushers in the league. 

Humphrey immediately made an impact, being named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1968 after being drafted third overall. From 1968 until 1977, he averaged 11 sacks-per-year, while also forcing ten fumbles. 

Humphrey’s 99.5 sacks leads the Falcons all-time, and after spending three years with the Eagles, he climbed into the top-25 all-time leaderboard with 130 sacks (24th in league history). 

Humphrey played before stats such as tackles-for-loss and total tackles existed, so NFL historians may never truly be able to quantify his impact, but the accolades say it all. Six Pro Bowles, five All-Pro’s, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, Humphrey undoubtedly had a remarkable career. 

1. Matt Ryan, QB, 2008-2021

When he was drafted third overall out of Boston College, Matt Ryan took the keys to the Falcons franchise, and held them for fourteen years. As their quarterback, he led them to six playoff appearances, including an NFC championship in 2016. 

Ryan won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2008, which immediately kicked his career off on the right foot. He would go on to win an MVP award in 2016, becoming the first and only Falcon to win the award. Despite only being a four-time Pro Bowler, he consistently ranked among the top of the league in the major passing categories. 

On the all-time NFL leaderboards, Ryan ranks ninth in touchdown passes (381), fifth in completions (5,551), seventh in yards (62,792), 19th in passer rating (93.6), eighth in yards-per-game (268.3), 13th in competition percentage (65.6), and fourth in comeback wins (38). He leads the Falcons in all of those categories. 

Unfortunately for Ryan, his legacy will always be tainted by the Falcons blown lead in the 2016 Super Bowl, which saw the Patriots come back from a 28-3 deficit to ultimately hand the Falcons a crushing 34-28 defeat. However, Ryan was still a remarkably talented passer. 

It remains to be seen if Ryan will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, but even if he doesn’t, his talent was unmatched, and his 2016 MVP campaign will go down as perhaps the greatest season any Falcon has ever had.