3 Records within reach for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan

3. Matt Ryan will end his career as a top-five passer all-time

While Rodgers has a leg up on Matt Ryan when it comes to touchdown passes and the all-important Super Bowl rings there are two stats that swing in Ryan’s favor. The first is the fact that Ryan has just as many NFC titles with his title coming in an MVP season that was capped by beating Rodgers in the title game.

The second is the fact that Ryan has stayed healthier and surpassed Rodgers in all-time passing yards sitting in 8th with 59,322-career passing yards while Rodgers is in 10th. This isn’t to argue that Ryan is a better quarterback than Rodgers who has won a Super Bowl and has one of the best arms the league has ever seen.

Rather it is to point out the statistical company that Matt Ryan belongs in. Ryan isn’t Rodgers or Brady and frankly even if he wins a Super Bowl he never will be. However, Ryan deserves far more respect than what he garners around the league. He has been an iron man who does everything he can to help his team win.

With a great season next year, Matt Ryan could put himself in 5th place in all-time passing yards. He trails the fifth-ranked Ben Roethlisberger by only 4,399-yards a number he will easily pass before his career ends and as mentioned before it appears Ben’s career is done.

From there just in the other categories you have Farve, Brees, Manning, and Brady who all sit over 8,000-passing yards over fifth-place speaking to each player’s greatness. Just like in seemingly every category Brady leads by a mile and is unlikely to be caught.

To catch Farve or the elder Manning brother Ryan would need to put together 12,618-passing yards which if you do the math is at least three more great seasons and another fourth solid performance. Ryan would have to last until he was over forty-something that is possible but improbable. More than likely Ryan will end his career rightly trailing those four greats and be honored to be in the same conversation.