Falcons Trade QB Matt Ryan To Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have officially traded for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan

Cole Thompson | Mar 21, 2022

The Atlanta Falcons have traded quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third-round pick. The deal is expected to be finalized in the coming hours.

Trade talks for Ryan began last week when Atlanta reached out to the Houston Texans on the status of quarterback Deshaun Watson. A native of Gainesville, Falcons' owner Arthur Blank and general manager Terry Fontenot met with the three-time Pro Bowler in Atlanta and felt content that a deal would be reached.

Matt Ryan

All that changed when the Cleveland Browns offered Watson a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed extension. The trade didn't stop Colts' GM Chris Ballard from calling about adding Ryan for the 2022 season.

On Monday, NFL Network reported that Atlanta was in "serious talks" with Indianapolis on getting a deal finalized before 4.pm. Should Ryan have been retained by the Falcons, he would have been owed a $7.5 million roster bonus

Ryan, 36, is coming off a down season in which he threw for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His 90.1 passer raiting was the lowest of his career since 2015, and Atlanta finished 7-10, missing the postseason for the fourth consecutive time.

Trade rumors have circled around the Ryan for over the past season due to the change of the front office. Last April, Fontenot and new coach Arthur Smith were reportedly at a disagreement on drafting a quarterback with the No. 4 selection.

Multiple reports indicated that Fontenot wanted to draft either North Dakota State's Trey Lance or Ohio State's Justin Fields. Smith wanted to work another season with Ryan and see if he could help him improve on a lackluster roster.

Ryan downplayed the rumors in October, stating it "ridiculous" from the start.

“Everybody’s situation is different,” Ryan said. “Everybody tries to lump everybody’s deal together, and everybody’s is unique.”

Both Indianapolis and the Seattle Seahawks were interested in Ryan, and had the funds to afford his contract contract. The Colts currently lead the NFL's salary cap at $39.8 million. Seattle isn't far behind at $31.5 million.

In the end, the Colts seemed to give Ryan a better option of winning one more Super Bowl before calling it a career.

Drafted No. 3 overall in 2008, Ryan finishes his time with the Falcons posting a 120-102 record, the most for a quarterback in franchise history. In 14 seasons, he threw for 59,735 yards and 367 touchdowns against 170 interceptions.

Atlanta was never going to grab a first-round pick from Indianapolis due to the Carson Wentz trade of 2021. With the addition draft capital, Atlanta has three picks in the top 60 and five total in the top 100.

Entering the offseason, Atlanta now must make quarterback a priority for the future. Liberty's Malik Willis, a native of Georgia, very well could be in play at the No. 8 pick. As could Pitt's Kenny Pickett, who mirrors a similar skillset to that of Tennessee's Ryan Tannehill.

Smith was hired by Atlanta following his success with Tannehill's rejuvenation with the Titans. In two seasons, Tannehill posted an 18-8 record and threw for a combined 6,561 yards and 55 touchdowns. His combined passer rating of 112 was the highest among AFC quarterbacks through the 2020 season.

Matt Ryan

The Falcons are also expected to look for a bridge option to begin the season. Early reports indicate that Atlanta could former No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota, who worked with Smith in Tennessee.

Mariota, 28, spent the past two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. In 11 games, he threw for 230 yards and a touchdown.

Published Mar 21, 2022

COLE THOMPSON

Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson