Matty Ice back? 3 NFL teams that should take a flyer on Matt Ryan
By Mark Powell
Former Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan has hinted at a comeback. Will any teams give him a call?
Matt Ryan has signed on to be an NFL analyst for CBS this coming season, but that doesn’t mean his playing days are behind him. Ryan has expressed remorse over how his NFL career ended, and even hinted at a comeback in an all-encompassing interview with The Athletic.
“I’m staying in shape. I think it is kind of, ‘You know my number. You know where I’m at.’ If anything were to come up, you know, we’ll see. (CBS) is where my focus is at right now. But we’ll see how the season shakes out,” Ryan said.
Ryan has plenty of experience as a signal-caller, and with the right team could provide the kind of veteran leadership needed in the QB room. Whether it be as a starting QB or backup, Ryan still has a place in the league if he wants it.
NFL Rumors: Could the Falcons ask Matt Ryan to come back?
It would be a bit awkward at first, sure, but Ryan was in the Falcons facility relatively recently. In his interview with The Athletic, Ryan expressed remorse over how things ended in Atlanta, and didn’t believe the Falcons brass acted out of ill will over his eventual departure.
"“The biggest thing that I took away from that situation is I wasn’t going to let one bad week ruin 14 years of awesome, of really positive, great experiences,” Ryan said. “You also come to realize the business side of it. I understand that there are difficult decisions that need to be made and there’s a right or wrong way to do those kinds of things. Would I have liked some of it to be different? Yeah, but it wasn’t handled badly. It was just a situation that was difficult for all parties involved.”"
Ryan would enter the situation as an immediate backup to Desmond Ridder. The Falcons want to see what they have in the Cincinnati product, and Ridder showed some flashes of brilliance at the end of Atlanta’s season. Having Ryan in the building to work with Ridder and show him what it takes to be a Pro Bowl-caliber passer would benefit all parties.
Taylor Heinicke is the immediate backup to Ridder right now, which is good enough for the Falcons heading into the season. But, given how things ended with Marcus Mariota, a veteran presence in the room could be preferable.