Matt Ryan claims he could still be with the Atlanta Falcons

Jan 2, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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You cannot blame Matt Ryan for requesting a trade after the news came in that the Atlanta Falcons were heavily pursuing Deshaun Watson. Ryan had given everything he had to the team for 14 years, only for them to turn their back on him.

However, you can also see the Falcons point of view as they were trying to look towards the future and increase their chances of getting a Lombardi trophy, there was no way around it, Matt Ryan was nearing his 40s and was not getting any younger.

Matt Ryan says he could still be a Falcon if not for the pursuit of Deshaun Watson

The Atlanta Falcons just barely missed out on Deshaun Watson and then they also lost Matt Ryan in the process, as Ryan felt like it was best for him to move on to a new team.

With that being said, Matt feels like he would still be a Falcon if the team had not targeted Deshaun Watson, as he said on the Ryen Russillo podcast.

"“It’s more than likely I probably would’ve still been there had circumstances been different. But I’m excited with where I’m at.”"

That is a noteworthy statement as it almost felt like Arthur Smith and the rest of the organization had already moved on from Ryan as the starting quarterback in 2022

Matt also had this to say about what he felt during the process:

"“I kind of got filled into the loop that they were going to look into Deshaun Watson, And then at that point, I said, OK, I understand. But I also need to look into what I need to look into. And if this doesn’t go down, find out if this is probably still the best fit for me.”"

Again, you cannot blame Ryan for feeling the need to move on, he does not have the time to sit through a rebuild, instead, he joins a team in the Colts that is built to win now.

All in all, it was probably best for both sides to move on, Matt Ryan needs a chance to win as soon as possible while the Falcons are a ways away from competing for a Super Bowl.

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