LISTEN: Is This Matt Ryan's Final Season With Falcons?

Locked On Falcons: Evaluating This Coaching Staff and Matt Ryan's Future in Atlanta

Jeremy Brener | Sep 18, 2021

When Matt Ryan became the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, George W. Bush was still President of the United States. Now, three presidents later, Ryan is still the quarterback for the Falcons.

But could this year be his last?

At age 36, Ryan is in the twilight of his hall-of-fame caliber career, and not many quarterbacks like him are interested in quarterbacking a rebuilding team.

While he's the longest-tenured Falcon and there is a legacy he's built by being an Atlanta lifer, you have to wonder if Ryan is pondering life outside of Atlanta for one last chance at chasing a Lombardi Trophy.

The same question could be posed for the Falcons. As a rebuilding team, would they prefer to find a younger piece to prepare them for a post-Ryan future?

And, is it worth paying Ryan to be a $48 million cap hit next season when the team is not in a place to contend.

Ryan does have an out in his contract at the end of the season, which further pushes the idea that 2021 season could be Ryan's last in Atlanta.

On this episode of "Locked On Falcons," host Aaron Freeman discusses what's at stake this weekend and this season for the Falcons, head coach Arthur Smith, and quarterback Ryan.

He discusses the importance of the Falcons improving in Week 2, and how it could help better evaluate a player like Kaleb McGary or a coach like Smith.

Then, he discusses Ryan's future in Atlanta and how it's tied to winning. He breaks down how Ryan's contract makes it difficult for the Falcons to justify continuing to pay him if they're not getting results on the field, why the Justin Fields vs. Kyle Pitts conversation isn't going away, and learning past lessons from teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in regards to the Falcons finding a successor to Ryan down the road.

Aaron deals with all that and more on this episode of "Locked On Falcons." For more podcasts and information, join us here.

CONTINUE READING: 'No Victims' & 'No Soft Souls,' Says Falcons Coach Arthur Smith

Published Sep 18, 2021

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.