Matthew Thomas Ryan is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed “Matty Ice”, Ryan played college football at Boston College, where he won the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior.
He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, where he spent his first 14 seasons. Ryan made an impact in his first season by bringing the Falcons to the playoffs, earning him Offensive Rookie of the Year. During his Atlanta tenure, he led the team to six playoff appearances and three division titles.
His most successful season was in 2016 when he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) and made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl LI. Ryan also received four Pro Bowl selections and set several franchise records with the Falcons, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating, and wins. Amid a team rebuild, Ryan was traded to the Colts in 2022.
Did the Falcons get rid of Matt Ryan?
The Falcons made the decision to move on from Matt Ryan during the 2022 NFL offseason. Atlanta traded its quarterback of 14 years to the Colts in exchange for a 2022 third-round draft pick.
Many assumed that the Falcons’ decision was tied directly to their pursuit of Deshaun Watson. Atlanta was among the teams in on the embattled Texans quarterback before he was traded to the Browns.
However, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot insisted Wednesday that the team’s decision to send Ryan to Indianapolis had nothing to do with its pursuit of Watson. It was something the Falcons had been considering all offseason.
“Whether we began to explore Deshaun or not, we were already starting to discuss trading Matt this offseason,” Fontenot told reporters, per Kelly Price of Fox 5 Sports.
The trade wasn’t born of the tension between the two sides. According to Falcons coach Arthur Smith, the two sides mutually decided that it would be best for each to move on.
“It was very amicable,” Smith said of the split, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic, “and we feel like it was a win for both sides, for us long-term and Matt right now.”