Atlanta Falcons Hero Matt Ryan Officially Calls It A Career

Another 2000s NFL QB is walking away from the game.

Famed Atlanta Falcons quarterback and 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan, 38, announced his official retirement Monday, capping a 15-year career. 

As part of his decision, Ryan retired as a member of the Falcons, having spent his final season in the league with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. Ryan did not take the field last season, and unlike other aging veteran QBs, Ryan won't be hanging around waiting for a contender to call.

Atlanta's social media released a heartfelt video of Ryan making his official announcement. He also spoke at the team's facilities about retiring as a Falcon.

"So today, 16 years after being drafted, my childhood dream has officially come to an end. I'm honored to retire as a Falcon," Ryan shared on Monday. "You have no control in this profession in where you start. I am so lucky that my start and my finish was here in Atlanta."

"While we didn't accomplish everything we had hoped, I'm proud of what we did," Ryan added.

Now … will Matt Ryan's case as a Hall of Fame inductee pass the test?

Looking at his resume, Ryan makes a compelling case, though it's seemingly negated by his inability to win a Super Bowl and overcome the infamy of the "28-3" Super Bowl 51 loss.

(Does Matty Ice deserve to make the Hall of Fame? Send us your hottest takes: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)

First, the accolades. To name a few … Matt Ryan threw for 416 career touchdowns, tallied the highest single-season passer rating by a QB in a season in 2016 (119.9), produced the best passer rating for a Super Bowl QB (144.1), engineered the fourth-most fourth-quarter comeback wins by a QB in NFL history (38), and threw for over 4,000 yards in a season 11 times.

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05:  Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts during the game against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas.  (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

When it comes to the Big Game, Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan's Falcons suffered the greatest flop in Super Bowl history, surrendering a 28-3 halftime lead to the New England Patriots. The loss can't be blamed on Ryan, who was nearly spotless in the game until Shanahan took his foot off the gas, but when it comes to legacy, a loss like that certainly matters.

Ryan may not end up as an NFL legend, but his contributions in Atlanta will live on forever. 

That is, unless Kirk Cousins has anything to say about it…

Happy Trails, Matt Ryan!

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Send a message: alejandro.avila@outkick.com