Terry Fontenot was named general manager of the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 19, 2021.
Fontenot joined the Falcons after spending the previous 18 seasons as a member of the New Orleans Saints organization. He worked his way through the organization's ranks, starting out as a marketing intern before switching to the scouting department and climbing the ladder from intern to pro scout, and eventually advancing to vice president/assistant general manager of pro personnel.
In 2022, Atlanta finished with a 7-10 record, winning six games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium - the most since the stadium opened in 2017. The Falcons led the NFL in fewest penalties, finished third in the league in rushing yards per game and 10th in third-down conversion rate. Atlanta also had the third-highest successful play rate on rushing attempts, based on EPA, at 45.1 percent.
Atlanta's rushing attack averaged 74.5 more rushing yards per game in 2022 than it did in 2021, resulting in the largest one-season improvement by any team since at least 2001. With Cordarrelle Patterson (340), Tyler Allgeier (324), Marcus Mariota (280) and Caleb Huntley (265), the Falcons became the first team to have four players with at least 250 rushing yards through the first eight games of a season in NFL history. Additionally, Allgeier surpassed Williams Andrews (1,023 in 1979) for the most rushing yards by a rookie in franchise history and became the sixth rookie in the NFL, selected in the fifth round-or-later, to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards over the past 20 seasons. Patterson also set single-season career highs for rushing yards (695) and rushing touchdowns (eight).
Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder started the final four games of the 2022 season and completed 73-of-115 passes (63.5 percent) for 708 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions for an 86.4 passer rating. Ridder's 73 completions and 708 passing yards were the most by a player over his first four career starts in franchise history. Additionally, the Cincinnati product became only the third rookie to attempt at least 100 passes and not record an interception in his first four career starts in NFL history, joining Dak Prescott and Gardner Minshew.
First-round selection Drake London finished his rookie season with 72 receptions for 866 yards and four touchdowns, surpassing Kyle Pitts (68 in 2021) for the most receptions by a rookie in franchise history. With Allgeier (1,035 rushing yards) and London (866 receiving yards), the 2022 Atlanta Falcons became the fourth team to have a 1,000-yard rookie rusher and an 800-yard rookie receiver in the same season in NFL history, joining the 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004 Detroit Lions and 2003 Houston Texans.
Defensively, in addition to leading the league in fewest defensive penalties per game (1.06), Atlanta's defense limited opponents to the second-fewest second half points per game, allowing only 7.9 points per game after halftime.
In his first year, the Falcons posted a 7-10 record, winning seven of nine games decided by one possession after winning two of 10 such games the season prior.Nine-year veteran running back Cordarrelle Patterson set single-season then career highs for rushing yards (618), receiving yards (548), rushing touchdowns (six) and receiving touchdowns (five), and became the first player to record at least five rushing and five receiving touchdowns in a single season in franchise history.
Additionally, Pitts became the second rookie tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 yards in 1961). Pitts broke the single-season franchise record for most receiving yards by a tight end with 1,026, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (930 in 2012), and set the record for most receiving yards by a rookie regardless of position, surpassing Julio Jones (959 in 2011). Pitts also became the first rookie tight end to be selected to the Pro Bowl since New York's Jeremy Shockey in 2002.
In New Orleans, Fontenot served as a close confidant for general manager Mickey Loomis and managed the pro personnel department include player acquisitions and evaluating players. With Fontenot leading the pro personnel department, the Saints showed a keen eye for adding impact players through free agency.
Although he spent much of his career on the pro scouting side, serving as a pro scouting intern, player personnel assistant and pro scout before his promotion to director of pro scouting, Fontenot saw his role expand in scope starting in 2015. After Ryan Pace was hired as the general manager of the Chicago Bears, Fontenot began working closely with college scouting director, and former Dolphins GM, Jeff Ireland, Loomis and head coach Sean Payton to develop a versatile group that could identify players that fit the team's vision, whether they were on NFL rosters, practice squads, free agents, college players or otherwise.
Free agents who signed with the Saints from 2015-2020 that went on to earn Pro Bowl honors included tight end Jared Cook, linebacker Demario Davis, kicker Wil Lutz and guard Larry Warford, along with center Max Unger who the Saints acquired in a trade with Seattle.
In 2012, Fontenot attended the Stanford Business School's Executive Education NFL-Stanford Program for Managers, an education program and honor known across the league as training ground for promising executives.
A native of Lake Charles, La., he was an all-state defensive back at Lagrange High School. A four-year letterman at safety for Tulane (1999-2002), Fontenot served as a team captain in 2001 and was a member of the 2002 team that won the Hawaii Bowl. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business and organizational information technology.
