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.
NFL Rumors: Could the Packers sign Matt Ryan?
If Matt Ryan is indeed open to backup or mentorship opportunities with his next team, the Green Bay Packers are arguably the best fit.
The Packers recently cut Danny Etling, instead riding with Jordan Love and Sean Clifford as their top-2 quarterbacks heading into the first preseason contest. That…leaves a lot to be desired, and for good reason. Love is unproven, still, at this juncture. And while it's great Green Bay has a lot of confidence in Clifford, it's tough to justify considering he was a late-round draft choice and is a rookie.
A veteran like Matt Ryan would fix everything, and allow Love to continue learning from a quarterback who has performed at the highest level, and made a Super Bowl once upon a time. Unlike Aaron Rodgers, Ryan would enter the Packers QB room as the clear backup with only two goals — learn the offense just in case he's needed, and groom Love to be the quarterback Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst think he can be.
Ryan shouldn't be starting football games for a team with postseason aspirations, and the Packers have that. Still, it allows Matty Ice to play a key role on a competitive Packers squad. What does either side have to lose?
NFL Rumors: Buccaneers should add Matt Ryan to their QB competition
Like I said, Matt Ryan shouldn't be starting for a team with postseason aspirations. As of this writing, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't that.
Tampa is rolling with either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask as their Week 1 starting QB. That leaves much to be desired, especially because Mayfield has struggled mightily so far in training camp. As of just a few days ago, Mayfield had thrown seven interceptions in just nine training camp practices. Trask, out of Florida, is unproven at best, and at worst a lottery ticket who just won't work out.
Watching Ryan play for the Falcons NFC South rivals would take some getting used to, but at the very least he would make this QB competition a little more interesting, and perhaps light a fire under two younger quarterbacks who aren't performing up to their abilities so far in camp.
Ryan, who is as competitive as they come, would love the opportunity to enter the Bucs QB room in the starting QB mix, however unrealistic that may be come Week 1.