Falcons Rumors: Saints' Terry Fontenot Among Finalists for Atlanta's GM Job

The Atlanta Falcons could find their next general manager from a division rival.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant general manager of pro personnel Terry Fontenot is considered one of "two or three finalists" for the Falcons GM job.

Fontenot has been with the Saints since 2003, beginning as a scout before working his way up to Director of Pro Scouting and eventually assistant GM.

The Denver Broncos previously interviewed Fontenot for their general manager role, while the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions also showed interest, per Albert Breer of The MMQB.

Woody Paige of the Gazette recently predicted the Broncos would hire either Fontenot or Champ Kelly.

It appears there could be a fight for the executive, who has helped the Saints produce four straight seasons of at least 11 regular-season wins.

"He's had a hand in building one of the most successful franchises in the NFL these last four seasons, and his chance to run a shop of his own is long overdue," Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate told the Broncos official site.

The Falcons are looking for some stability in the front office after three straight losing seasons, finishing 2020 as one of the worst teams in the NFL at 4-12.

While the massive interest around the league indicates the Saints will likely lose Fontenot to another team this year, the organization could be rewarded for grooming a minority candidate. As Schefter noted, a new rule created this year will give two compensatory third-round draft picks to any team that loses a minority candidate that goes onto become a head coach or general manager.