Atlanta Falcons: Is it Time to Question Matt Ryan’s Future?

It’s time for the Atlanta Falcons to start thinking past Matt Ryan. Despite his run to the Super Bowl run and there is no shame in losing to the New England Patriots, Matt Ryan has been the least consistent elite quarterback in the NFL. While that may sound like an oxymoron to give up on an elite quarterback, at the age of 34 Ryan is on the back part of his career. Of course, being second in the NFL in terms of passing yards will have Falcons fans losing their mind, his 1-7 record this season isn’t doing him any favors.

Throw in the fact that Ryan has a win percentage of 56% and the thin lines get a little blurred. Winning just over half of your games can be misleading. The Giants have given up on Eli Manning who won two Super Bowls who won only roughly 51% of his games. The Ravens moved on to their younger quarterback in Lamar Jackson in favor of moving Joe Flacco who’s won one more game than Matt Ryan but has a few less losses winning 58% of his games and he also has a Super Bowl.

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Maybe it would be wise for the Atlanta Falcons to draft a quarterback to groom as his replacement, but maybe they should be on the phone come the deadline as well. At 1-7, the Falcons would have to win out to even back into a playoff spot and this isn’t the AFC. The Falcons would still have an uphill battle to even sniff a run at the Super Bowl. Surely a quarterback with the stats to back it up would fetch a pretty price come the trade block even if he is coming off an injured ankle. If say the Chicago Bears come calling offering up a deal packaged with a first-round pick the Falcons would be wise to listen.

Fans and analysts can throw all the stats they want out about Matt Ryan and how he leads this category or broke that record but wins don’t lie. Its easy to put up stats when you’re constantly playing from behind as the Falcons often are. As good as Matt Ryan’s stat sheet looks, Falcons fans have to ask themselves if he’s the one to lead them to a Super Bowl victory. Maybe he will, but holding on to future Hall of Fame quarterbacks with no replacement in mind is what doomed teams like the Dolphins and Bills for decades. If the Atlanta Falcons commit to Matt Ryan for too much longer without a Super Bowl win under his belt they might be leading the franchise down that same path.