One of the all time greats in Atlanta sports has officially hung up the cleats.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan announced his retirement on April 22, following a season away from the field in the broadcast booth.
Ryan spent 15 seasons in the NFL, 14 of which he served as the starting Quarterback for the Falcons. During his time in Atlanta, he was named to the Pro Bowl four times, won the 2016 NFL Most Valuable Player award, the 2008 NFL Rookie of the Year award and led the Falcons organization to its second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Ryan played his final game for the Falcons on Jan. 9, 2022, before he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in March of the same year in exchange for a third-round pick. On Monday, Ryan signed a one-day contract with Atlanta to retire a Falcon.
“Matt Ryan’s impact on the Atlanta Falcons organization and the city of Atlanta is immeasurable,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “Matt always represented himself, his family, teammates and our team with class, character, and integrity on and off the field.”
Ryan retires as the Atlanta Franchise leader in several categories including passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, passer rating and career completions. His 62,792 career passing yards place him at seventh most in NFL history.
“Thank you to all the Falcons fans for your continued support. Through the highs and the lows, 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,”Ryan said. “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 plans on returning to the broadcast booth where he spent the past year as an NFL color commentator for CBS.
During a nearly 60-year history, Falcons fans have experienced far more pain than joy. For over a decade, Ryan brought respect and success to the organization by accomplishing more than any individual to ever before wear the Falcons’ black and red jersey.
Ryan will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029 where he could become the 10th Falcon inducted. He will be promptly named to the Falcon’s ring of honor where his name will forever be displayed in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
