Falcons legend Matt Ryan joins CBS Sports, could signal future

Say what you want about Matt Ryan this past season with the Indianapolis Colts. His team wasn’t good and neither was he but that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and easily the greatest quarterback in Falcons’ history—maybe their greatest player, regardless of position, ever.

His tenure with the Falcons came to an abrupt halt last offseason as he was traded to the Colts and now his career in the NFL might come to an even more abrupt halt. He may have signaled his future on Sunday morning as he joined CBS Sports to help cover their pregame show for the NFL playoffs.

Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan could be signaling future as he joins CBS

Matt Ryan likely wishes he never requested a trade from the Falcons. He thought he was escaping disaster for a seemingly stacked team, but it turned out he was leaving a team that was much better this past season for a team that had one of the most disappointing and disastrous seasons in the history of the league.

He also thought he was leaving a shattered offensive line for a stout one but the exact opposite was true. It seems like his trade request might have cut his career shorter than he would have liked as he has now shown promise as a TV analyst.

Matt Ryan joined the CBS NFL team to help them prepare for their broadcast of the Bills and Bengals game.  Ryan joined Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms, and host James Brown for the morning coverage. He fit in well and ironically, was the best NFL player on the screen.

Must Read: Falcons land second in odds to land Lamar Jackson.

So, this begs the question, could CBS see this as a potential permanent option and be willing to give Matty Ice an option to stay in the NFL world without having to play?

If I had to guess, I would say not quite yet. Ryan is still under contract with the Colts and will likely wait this out instead of retiring. It makes no sense for him to walk away from all the money he is guaranteed on his contract by retiring, but if the Colts end up releasing him, which is likely, then CBS Sports—or any other studio—could be his next stop. This assumes that no team is willing to pay him more than one of the TV stations would be willing to.