Ex Falcons QB Matt Ryan Gives 2-Word Message to Atlanta on Ring of Honor Night

Former quarterback Matt Ryan entered the Atlanta Falcons' Ring of Honor in last Thursday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Quarterback Matt Ryan was inducted into the team’s ring of honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

For five years, quarterback Matt Ryan took to the postgame podium near the Atlanta Falcons' locker room inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He did the same for another nine years at the Georgia Dome, cementing his place as the face of the franchise.

But last Thursday night, Ryan's turn at the podium was different.

It was before the game, nearly an hour and a half before kickoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And the 39-year-old Ryan wasn't set to be putting on his helmet or shoulder pads.

Those are things of the past.

Instead, Ryan, sporting a black blazer and tie over a lighter button-down dress shirt, was handling a different kind of business: his induction into the Falcons' Ring of Honor.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | iHeart

Ryan became the club's 14th member on Thursday night, capping off his illustrious career with the organization in style -- a red, members-only sportscoat he wore during his halftime speech in front of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium crowd.

Before the red blazer and crowd, Ryan addressed reporters. The final question he answered centered around his message to Atlanta. His answer was straightforward.

"Thank you," Ryan said. "Thank you for welcoming me, for embracing me for 14 seasons. I loved every minute of it. There's nothing I ever wanted to do other than be a professional athlete and be a quarterback in the NFL. And I had the opportunity to do it here for 14 years, which was incredible."

Ryan is Atlanta's all-time leading passer in every major category, and he finished his NFL career with 62,792 passing yards and 381 touchdowns, each ranking top 10 in NFL history.

Drafted No. 3 overall in 2008, Ryan brought stability to a Falcons organization in the midst of turmoil. He won MVP in 2016 and earned four Pro Bowl nods.

And Ryan, who's now working as an analyst for CBS, delivered one final farewell to the city in his last direct address to Falcons fans for the foreseeable future.

"I've said it before: You have no control over where you start," Ryan said. "And I was so lucky that it was in this organization, in this city, because it really has changed my life and my family's life. And we're so thankful for that. So just a big thank you to everyone."