Falcons QB Matt Ryan $48.6 Million Cap Hit - NFL's Biggest Ever - And So What?

With Matt Ryan, now the piper is about to be paid - which even the most casual fan understands, at least in vague terms, right?

Even the most casual fan of the Atlanta Falcons is aware of the bloated finances involving quarterback Matt Ryan. The new deal came in the form of a $150 million contract extension in May 2018. He was two years removed from winning the NFL MVP and leading Atlanta to the Super Bowl.

He was also 32, but the organization was in go-for-it mode. So it did.

And now the piper is about to be paid - which even the most casual fan understands, at least in vague terms, right?

So why, when ESPN’s Field Yates points out (carrying on a Bristol tradition of sort of "re-breaking a story'') that Ryan’s cap hit for the 2022 season is currently projected to be over $48.6 million - which will be the largest in NFL history - is there panic in the Atlanta streets?

Literally thousands of fans have commented on Yates' truly innocuous "news'' ...

Falcons QB Matt Ryan is currently scheduled to have a cap hit of $48,662,500 in 2022.

That would be the largest cap hit for any player in NFL history.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 24, 2022

And we say "innocuous'' not because it's not notable (or in ESPN's case, "re-notable'') but rather because this is simply how it works.

The Atlanta front office can deal with this now, or it can play Math Games and extend it out ... at which point the Falcons could be "paying the cap'' when Ryan, who turns 37 in May, is well into his 40's.

There are two years (2022 at $48.662 million and 2023, with a cap hit of $43.612 million) to be dealt with. Short of some zany trade (Russell Wilson, anybody?), the Falcons options are clear: They could change Ryan’s cap number by tacking on years in the form of an extension, or they can pay that pesky piper over the course of the two seasons, while hoping the still-capable Ryan - who finished the 2021 season with 3,968 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions - continues to be good enough to keep the Falcons afloat ... maybe while also helping to groom his successor.

But which ever way the Falcons decide to go with Matt Ryan, none of the dollars should surprise anybody ... right? This was the deal. This is how it works. The Falcons chose to pay the price. And now they pay the price. It's that simple.