Falcons owner Arthur Blank said this week that he hopes quarterback Matt Ryan will be part of the team’s plans going forward, but that any decision on that front would rest with whoever the team hires as their next coach and General Manager.
It will be some time before those hires are made and Ryan said on Wednesday that he won’t be spending it worrying about how long he’ll be with the only team he’s ever played for in the NFL.
Ryan said that players “rent these lockers, we don’t own them” to illustrate that nobody’s guaranteed a future with the team. That’s why his focus is remaining on the task at hand even if he gets why people would wonder what’s in store for him.
“I don’t worry about it, I understand where everyone is coming from, I understand where I’m at my career,” Ryan said, via the team’s website. “But I also believe in compartmentalizing things and focusing on what’s in front of us this week and the job that I have to do. We’ve got 11 ball games to go this season and we’ve got to find a way to get some wins and get back in the mix. That’s where our mindset has to be at.”
Ryan is signed through the 2023 season with cap numbers north of $40 million the next two seasons, so there would be some complications attached to moving on from him via release or trade. That’s something to consider, but it’s probably not insurmountable should the incoming management team decide it is best to start from scratch.