Falcon Report

Falcons' Arthur Blank Praises Ex QB Ryan: 'We Love Matt!'

Matt Ryan, who was traded by the Atlanta Falcons last year, received some love from owner Arthur Blank.

Jeremy Brener

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It's been a little over a year since the Atlanta Falcons traded longtime starting quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan's 14-year tenure as the Falcons starting quarterback, headlined by an MVP campaign in 2016, came to an end after Atlanta unsuccessfully pursued a trade for Deshaun Watson, who was ultimately dealt to the Cleveland Browns.

The run for Watson left a sour taste in Ryan's mouth, and he began to look for a new home, which he found in the Indianapolis Colts. Despite the bitter end of his tremendous run, Falcons owner Arthur Blank had nothing but compliments for the former franchise quarterback.

"Well, Matt is welcomed back into the organization. I had dinner with Matt sometime after the end of the season. I have six children, so I say Matt is like a seventh child to me, in some ways it's true," Blank said. 

Ryan, 38, lasted just one season with the Colts and was benched midway through the season for second-year pro Sam Ehlinger. Ryan hasn't retired yet and remains a free agent, but also signed on with CBS Sports to be part of a broadcast booth this fall with Andrew Catalon and Tiki Barber, a role Blank thinks he'll excel in.

"We love Matt, I think he loves Atlanta, he loves the Falcons and I think when his playing career is over, whenever that officially becomes over, I think you'll see even more of him," Blank said. "We have a great relationship with him, and I wish him all the luck now with his new role with CBS, I think he'll do great at it."

Ryan has yet to officially retire, but when he does, it may result in a one-day contract where it all started ... with the Falcons.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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