Former Falcons QB Matt Ryan cautioned that his decision to join CBS Sports as an analyst last offseason wasn't a retirement announcement, but that day always felt inevitable. On Monday, Ryan made it official.
The 38-year-old officially retired from the NFL, inking a one-day contract with the Falcons. Atlanta posted a tribute video on social media, narrated by Ryan himself as the longtime starter expressed his gratitude to his teammates, coaches and fans.
"While we didn't accomplish everything we had hoped, I am proud of what we did, and I know that I gave everything I could to be the best that I possibly could," Ryan said.
From: Matt Ryan
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 22, 2024
To: Atlanta pic.twitter.com/JWhkNqHzdY
Ryan sat out the 2023 season but left the door open for a potential return if the right situation opened up. He was released by the Colts after a tumultuous 2022 season that saw Ryan get benched for two different quarterbacks.
Here's a closer look at Ryan's NFL stats and the key numbers to know in his Hall of Fame debate.
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Matt Ryan NFL stats
Regular season stats
| Starts | 234 |
| Record | 124-109-1 |
| Completion rate | 65.6% |
| Pass yards | 62,792 |
| TD | 381 |
| INT | 183 |
| TD rate | 4.5% |
| INT rate | 2.2% |
| Passer rating | 93.6 |
Playoff stats
| Starts | 10 |
| Record | 4-6 |
| Completion rate | 67.5% |
| Pass yards | 2,672 |
| TD | 20 |
| INT | 7 |
| TD rate | 5.7% |
| INT rate | 2.0% |
| Passer rating | 100.8 |
Is Matt Ryan a Hall of Famer?
At the very least, Ryan might have to wait beyond his first year of eligibility (2028). Tom Brady and J.J. Watt are already set to become eligible at the same time, so they're locks to take up two of the five modern-era spots. While it's not necessarily unusual for more than two first-year candidates to enter the Hall of Fame in the same year, two quarterbacks in one class would be a surprise.
Ryan is seventh all-time in passing yards and ninth all-time in touchdown passes. While eras have changed and it's tough to compare 21st century passing totals to earlier marks, rattling off 10 consecutive seasons of at least 4,000 passing yards isn't a common occurrence, either.
Of the six quarterbacks with more passing yards than Ryan, five are either Hall of Famers or Hall of Fame locks. The only other is Philip Rivers, whose own status after he becomes eligible in 2026 might indicate how quickly Ryan can expect to get in if he gets in at all.
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Notably, Ryan would likely be considered a lock if he had won a Super Bowl. The Falcons' blown 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51 isn't often blamed on Ryan — at least not as much as it's blamed on the Falcons' defense or Kyle Shanahan — but that's a piece of hardware that would have made all the difference.
Ryan, however, was a terrific playoff quarterback. His averages in the playoffs are better than his regular season marks across the board, with a stellar 100.8 passer rating and excellent touchdown rate. Ryan was imperfect, but his defense failed him more often than he failed the Falcons in those moments.
While he doesn't necessarily have a say in the process, Ryan believes he's a Hall of Famer. "The numbers speak for themselves," Ryan told The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov, adding, "The consistency that I had for a long time, the production that we had in Atlanta, I think speaks to it."
Ryan explained that he understands the importance of championships but will hold out hope that his total body of work is enough to earn a gold jacket.
By the numbers, Ryan stands a strong chance of getting the call to Canton. It just might take some time, particularly if voters are feeling quarterback fatigue with Eli Manning, Rivers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Brady all eligible over a five-year period before Ryan become eligible in 2028.
Matt Ryan career earnings
Ryan made $303.7 million from his NFL contracts, including $12 million from the Colts in 2023 while not on the roster.
The Boston College product first cashed in with a contract extension in 2013, inking a five-year, $103.8 million deal to stay in Atlanta, and he followed it up by signing a five-year, $150 million deal with $100 million in guarantees in 2018.
Ryan's 2018 extension made him the first player to reach the $30 million annual salary plateau. The bar is now considerably higher for quarterbacks, but it's fair to say Ryan did well for himself over 15 seasons in the NFL.
