Falcons Ex Matt Ryan Has 'No Interest' in Jets

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has no plans of returning to the football field at the moment.

Despite not being an active member of an NFL roster for the first time since being drafted out of Boston College in 2008, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback now-turned-analyst for CBS Sports Matt Ryan hasn't completely shut the door on his career on the gridiron.  

When the 38-year-old announced that he would accept a position on the broadcast team for CBS Sports over the offseason, Ryan said it didn't mean he was retired. However, his latest comments regarding the possibility of returning to the field and signing with a quarterback-needy team like the New York Jets make you wonder if he ever will. 

“No, not on my end,” Ryan said about potential interest in the Jets. “But, to clear it up, my agent is one of the best at what he does — Todd France is incredible. And he wouldn’t be doing his job if he wasn’t looking into certain situations.

"But he and I talked, and I’ve got no interest in doing that right now. I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”

After the Jets lost starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers plays into their season-opener versus the Buffalo Bills, whispers of them venturing into free agency have only gotten louder as the weeks go by. 

Coming into the season, the Jets had expectations beyond making the playoffs for the first time in over a decade; many felt that adding former multiple-time league MVP Rodgers would put them over the top and turn them into a Super Bowl contender. However, that dream of contending for a Super Bowl seems far from a reality through three games. 

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and New York Jets coach Robert Saleh / USA Today

With former first-round pick Zach Wilson at quarterback, the Jets offense has been anything but convincing despite having a plethora of weapons like reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, running backs Dalvin Cook and Breece Hall, and an additional supporting cast of receivers like Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb.

The Jets have lost two straight games after beating the Bills in Week 1, while Wilson has thrown for 467 yards, two touchdowns, and interceptions while completing just 52.4 percent of his passes. The borderline abysmal play from Wilson reportedly had the Jets reaching out to both Ryan and Carson Wentz, who, by the sounds of it, said no. 

This may be a good thing for the 38-year-old Ryan, after 2022 with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was benched midway through a disastrous season that followed up a 4,000-yard passing season with the Falcons just the year prior. 

So, for now, Ryan will stay in the booth where he doesn't have to worry about dealing with the pressures of playing quarterback. However, it seems the door is still cracked open.