Former first-round draft pick Matt Ryan announced his official retirement from the NFL after 15 seasons on Monday. In a surprise move, Ryan revealed that he’s retiring as a member of the Atlanta Falcons – the team with which he spent all but a single season of his career. Though he ended his playing days with one season as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, he wrote in his retirement statement that it was his dream to retire as a Falcon.
Atlanta drafted Ryan 16 years ago this week, in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Boston College. He was the third player taken in the draft, behind offensive lineman Jake Long and defensive lineman Chris Long.
“Thank you to all the Falcons fans for your continued support through the highs and the lows,” Ryan wrote. “I always felt your energy and passion. I want you to know that every day I felt the responsibility to give you the best version of myself. While we didn’t accomplish everything we had hoped, I am proud of what we did, and I know that I gave everything I could to be the best that I possibly could.
“You have no control in this profession of where you start. I am so lucky that my start and now my finish is here in Atlanta.”
Ryan ends NFL career after 15 seasons
Ryan was one of the most prolific passers in the league for the majority of his career until he landed in Indianapolis. The 2022 campaign with the Colts didn’t reflect that success. Ryan threw 14 touchdown passes with 13 interceptions in 12 starts as Indianapolis ended the year with a 4-12-1 record.
Meanwhile, with with the Falcons, Ryan broke every franchise passing record on the books. After 15 seasons, he has the credentials of a potential Hall of Famer. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was named the league’s MVP in 2016. Ryan also led the Falcons to an appearance in Super Bowl LI, coming up just short of winning a ring against the Patriots.
Over the course of his career, Ryan threw for 62,792 yards with 381 touchdowns. He also completed 65.6% of his passes and owned a passer rating of 93.6.
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