'He Deserved Better': Pro Bowl WR Sounds Off on Falcons Matt Ryan Trade

Ryan was traded to Indianapolis for a third-round draft pick in March.

The 2007 Atlanta Falcons endured a difficult season on the field en route to a 4-12 record but found life even worse off the gridiron. Star quarterback Michael Vick was arrested and suspended indefinitely right before the start of the campaign, and first-year head coach Bobby Petrino bailed on the team after just 13 games.

The lone bright spot in an otherwise tumultuous season was the right to pick No. 3 overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, which the team used on Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan arrived in Atlanta as a 22-year-old from the Northeast looking to turn the tides of a reeling franchise that had gone through the ringer the season prior and left with accolades featuring four Pro Bowls and a league MVP award.

Following a stellar 14 seasons, the Falcons traded Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, enduring north of $40 million in dead cap space. The move resulted in the exit of a leader, a competitor and one of the faces of the city Atlanta.

With all that Ryan meant to the franchise, did the Falcons make a mistake letting him go? Former three-time Pro Bowler and current ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson doesn't think so.

"It's not a mistake at all. (The Falcons) did a wonderful thing by allowing Matt Ryan to leave and go to a team that can compete for a championship," Johnson said. "He deserved better, and they knew that. That's why they're giving him better. The Atlanta Falcons aren't ready to compete right now, and (Ryan) doesn't have time. He can't sit around and wait three or four years. Time's running out on Matty Ice."

Replacing Ryan at quarterback will be veteran free agent addition Marcus Mariota and third-round draft pick Desmond Ridder. While the Falcons will likely begin the season with Mariota as the starter, Ridder should get a chance to prove himself at some point during his rookie year.

Few expect the Falcons to be in playoff contention throughout the upcoming season, and with Ryan's age (37), it didn't make much sense for him to continue on with the franchise, as Johnson alluded to. Simply put, the two parties don't fit each other's timeline.

Now, Ryan gets a chance to play on a team with championship aspirations, while the Falcons turned the potential Hall of Famer into a pick used for pass rusher DeAngelo Malone, who Atlanta hopes can contribute to solving its pass rush woes, and cap relief moving into next offseason.

Keeping Ryan might have been best for the Falcons' 2022 season but giving a franchise great an opportunity to win a Super Bowl while setting the team up for the long haul is ultimately a win-win for both sides, surely not a mistake for either party.