Former Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was officially named the team’s quarterbacks coach on Monday. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the hiring on Sunday.
Knapp, 54, a longtime NFL assistant, was the Falcons offensive coordinator from 2004-06. He helped the Falcons get to the NFC title game with Michael Vick at quarterback after the 2004 season.
He has also coached at San Francisco (1997-2003), Oakland (2007-08, 2012), Seattle (2009), Houston (2010-11) and Denver (2013-16.)
He coached with Falcons head coach Dan Quinn in San Francisco (2001-03) and Seattle (2009). He was Peyton Manning’s position coach when the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.
Knapp was named Denver’s passing game coordinator in 2014. Under Knapp, Manning threw for a career-high 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns – both NFL records.
Knapp will be counted on to get quarterback Matt Ryan back on track. Last season, Ryan’s touchdowns dropped from 38 to 20 and he didn’t eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark until the final game of the season.
Jedd Fisch, Ken Dorsey and Darrell Bevell also were considered for the position to replace Bush Hamdan, who left to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Washington. Quinn said last week that Ryan would not have input in the decision. Quinn added that Ryan said he trusted the coach to select a quarterbacks coach that would be a good fit.
Knapp, who’s been a offensive coordinator in the NFL for 10 seasons, could aid offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who served in his first year as a NFL coordinator last season and had uneven results.
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