Atlanta Falcons should appreciate the history Matt Ryan is setting

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has put up numbers at a historic pace – a fact often ignored due to the team’s inability to build around the franchise quarterback.

The Atlanta Falcons are starting to realize their ability to count on Matt Ryan will soon be coming to an end. He enters this season at the age of 36 and the team must begin to consider life after Ryan.

While this is fair it is also important to point out just how historically great Ryan has been.

It is often missed just how highly Ryan is ranked among the elite. Currently, Ryan is in the ninth all-time passing yards with 55,767. The only player ranked ahead of him who isn’t a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer is Eli Manning who sits in eighth and will be easily passed by Ryan this season.

Matt Ryan has all the credentials to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer

Let it sink in, Ryan is going to finish his career in the top ten in all-time passing yards. He has produced at a Hall-of-Fame level and would surely be headed there himself if only Kyle Shanahan had run the football four years ago.

Ryan comes in 10th in all-time passing touchdowns with 347-touchdowns thrown in his career and he will likely pass Eli Manning in this category as well this season. Ryan currently trails the younger Manning by just 19 touchdowns and we all know 2021 will be a pass-heavy season for Atlanta.

Ryan is an all-timer quarterback who has been let down consistently by his franchise and will finish as a top ten quarterback statistically.

It is only fair to note we are in an offensive age unlike any before it, passing the football on seemingly every down is not out of the ordinary.  Both this fact and the lack of defense have given Ryan a lot of chances throwing the football other quarterbacks haven’t had.

However, Ryan has taken advantage of those chances and stayed consistent and healthy. Two things only Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees (prior to his retirement) have managed to do as well or better during Ryan’s tenure in Atlanta.

While his legacy as a winner may be in question there is no denying Ryan is an all-time passer who is going to finish his career as one of the best in football.