Falcons Ex Matt Ryan Won't 'Shut Any Doors' on NFL Return

Matt Ryan is a free agent, has a new job in television, but isn't retiring just yet.

Jeremy Brener | May 18, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is preparing for life after football.

Earlier this week, Ryan announced that he is joining the CBS Sports family as an analyst, but also made it a point that he wasn't retiring.

He offered more clarity to the decision in an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

"All the stars would have to [align]," Ryan said. "I've just learned, at least during my experience in the 15 years I've played, to just not shut any doors. That's really the decision behind that."

Ryan, 38, was traded a little over a year ago by the Falcons to the Indianapolis Colts after 14 seasons as the franchise quarterback in Atlanta. Ryan went into the 2022 season as the Colts' starter, but he managed to win just four games in 12 starts and was benched midseason. The Colts cut Ryan earlier in the offseason and he remains a free agent.

While he remains unsigned, Ryan isn't ready to turn his phone off and officially make the walk to the other side.

"I'm excited to kind of take this next step and to move forward, but at the same time, you never know what's going to happen in this league," Ryan said. "Anything could shake out, and so we'll see what happens."

Should Ryan never play another down in the NFL again, he will retire with one of the best quarterback stat lines in league history. He has thrown for 62,792 yards, which ranks 7th all-time and he's found the end zone through the air 381 times, good for 9th in league history. While he never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, he'll almost certainly walk the red carpet in Canton in his first year of eligibility.

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Published May 18, 2023

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.