Matt Ryan is battling NFL history as he enters his 13th season
Atlanta Falcons Matt Ryan is facing a mountain of NFL history in the final stages of his career. Can he be among the few to lead a team to a Super Bowl win after the age of 34?
Matt Ryan will be 35 when he takes the field for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. While he has shown no signs of slowing down, history is not on his side when it comes to winning a Super Bowl. Sure, this is not what Falcons fans want to hear, but it is the truth.
Yes, with the advancement of modern medicine, nutrition and a better understanding of the body, players are playing a lot longer than they ever have before. Yes, Matt Ryan has shown no signs of heavy wear and tear on his body. Despite missing his first game in 10 years in 2019, he has still looked like the same Matt Ryan.
Matter of fact, you can make the argument that Matt Ryan is playing better football over the last four years than ever before in his career despite being hit and sacked more than 100 times a season and you would absolutely correct.
Despite all the advancements to the game and guys playing longer, Matt Ryan cannot escape the fact that in NFL history older quarterbacks do not win Super Bowls. In the history of the game, only five quarterbacks have ever started and won a Super Bowl at or after the age of 35.
Those quarterbacks?
There is no doubt that Matt Ryan is among the best quarterbacks in the game. There is no doubt that had Atlanta consistently had just an average defense, he would have won two Super Bowls (2012 and 2016) in his career and more than likely played at least one more.
Owner Arthur Blank, the front office and the coaching staff’s that have run through Atlanta during Matt Ryan’s time in Atlanta have wasted one of the greatest talents to ever play the game. There is also no doubt that Matt Ryan is going to have to overcome NFL history that says very rarely do older quarterbacks win Super Bowls.
If the Atlanta Falcons are going to solidify Matt Ryan’s career with a title, they are running out of time to do so. This offseason is as critical as there has ever been when it comes to helping this franchise get over the hump and back into contention.
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Will they make the right moves? They have six weeks to pull it off and help Matt Ryan make history and cement his legacy among the all-time greats.