Sixteen years after his selection by the Atlanta Falcons helped lead to the start of the 2008 NFL Draft, Matt Ryan is officially talking career, announcing Monday that he retired from football at the age of 38.
Ryan, who is currently an NFL analyst for CBS Sports, did not take the field during the 2023 season, following a one-year stint with the Indianapolis Colts. He left the door open for a return to play by joining the broadcast booth, but now, with 15 years of quarterback experience on the books, he has hung up his cleats as an honorary member of the team that defined his career All-Pro: the Falcons.
“In this profession, you have no control over where you start,” Ryan said in his announcement video. “I’m so lucky that my departure, and now my arrival, is here in Atlanta.”
Drafted No. 3 out of Boston College in 2008, Ryan spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Falcons, compiling the most career wins by a quarterback in team history. The four-time Pro Bowler holds numerous major passing records for Atlanta, also winning the NFL MVP in 2016 and helping the team advance to the Super Bowl that same year. He began his tenure with the Falcons as Offensive Rookie of the Year and ended it having led the team to six different playoff appearances, while becoming a fixture in the Atlanta community outside of ground.
“I am honored to retire as a Falcon,” Ryan said Monday. “Through the ups and downs, I have always felt your energy and passion. … Even though we didn’t accomplish everything we had hoped, I’m proud of what we did and I know I gave it my all to be the best I could.”