Does it make sense for the Falcons to hold on to Matt Ryan?
Rumors are circulating that this past season might have been Matt Ryan's last in an Atlanta Falcons uniform.
Matt Ryan has been with the Falcons since he was drafted out of Boston College in 2008, but now in the twilight of his career, should the Falcons hold on to the quarterback?
Ryan has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in NFL history. He's thrown for nearly 60,000 yards and almost 400 touchdowns in his career.
The Falcons are about to owe the former NFL MVP $48 million this year, which is a huge reason why they may consider getting rid of him.
Falcons QB Matt Ryan is currently scheduled to have a cap hit of $48,662,500 in 2022.
That would be the largest cap hit for any player in NFL history.
Another reason is that his play is starting to decline. For three years straight from 2019-2021, Ryan has thrown fewer than 30 touchdowns per season.
It seems as if Ryan and the Falcons haven't recovered from their collapse in their Super Bowl against the New England Patriots when they squandered a 28-3 third-quarter lead.
Some of that might have to do with his age, but quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers seem to have gotten better with time.
So if the Falcons dump the former MVP, who can they go to next?
Who can replace Matt Ryan?
If the Falcons decide that they can't handle Matt Ryan's salary, who can they pick up?
You can start with Jimmy Garoppolo. He may not be a great passer like Ryan is, however, he is a winner and has gone to the NFC Championship game twice and the Super Bowl once.
@FieldYates For all you hating on Matt Ryan… this cap hit is so huge because Matt Ryan helped team by moving his money around year after year. This isn’t what he makes this year. He isn’t close to the highest paid player. The cap hit is because of TD.
Garoppolo doesn't have to be perfect, he just needs to be efficient. Also, his market value is significantly cheaper than Ryan's right now.
Another name the Falcons may consider is Carzon Wentz. Wentz may have a higher ceiling than Jimmy G. but he does bring some baggage with him.
One of the reasons the Philadelphia Eagles got rid of him is because he is injury and mistake prone.
His play against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of the regular season cost the Indianapolis Colts a playoff spot, which is why Colts management are rumored to be looking to replace him.
Perhaps a change of scenery would be great for both quarterbacks. Ryan has had to deal with a lot of trades, injuries and just a lack of production from other offensive performers which may have affected his numbers.
So maybe in this case, change may not be a bad thing for either him or the Falcons.