Falcons Push Back Matt Ryan's Contract Guarantee to Next Week

Matt Ryan was set to receive a $7.5 million guarantee if he was on the roster Friday, but things have changed.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 17, 2022

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was set to receive a $7.5 million payday Friday as long as he remained a member of the roster.

However, the Falcons have other plans.

Matt Ryan Buffalo — Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Ryan vs. Buffalo Bills

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

According to ESPN, Ryan's roster guarantee has been pushed back to Tuesday as the Falcons await word on whether Deshaun Watson will waive his no-trade clause.

The Falcons, like the Saints (seen by some as the front-runners), Panthers and Browns before them, have submitted to Houston a trade proposal for the three-time Pro Bowl selection. It be be assumed that the Texans have essentially said "yes'' to the deals on their end.

Watson, 26 and a Georgia native, was hosted, Wilson reports, at the Falcons' Flowery Branch headquarters (15 minutes from his hometown of Gainesville) and "made an impressive presentation about their vision for him as their potential franchise quarterback.''

Wilson reports that Watson's decision is likely going to come down to the Falcons and Saints.

Deshaun Watson

Arthur Blank

If Watson wants to become a Falcon, it puts Ryan in a tricky spot with a cap hit just north of $40 million. Once that bonus kicks in, his cap hit jumps to an NFL-record $48.662 million. And the Falcons will trade him while taking that money on, likely to the Indianapolis Colts, who are still looking for a quarterback after trading Carson Wentz, or Cleveland Browns, who just denied Baker Mayfield's trade request.

The guarantee date postponement shows that the Falcons believe they are very much in the Watson race and will risk upsetting their franchise quarterback of 14 years to get him.

Published Mar 17, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.