In the first NFL minicamp, Matt Ryan threw a shaky pass, making his new teammates question if he was the right choice for the team.
People couldn't help but wonder if it was a big mistake to pick this thin kid from Boston College as the third overall pick in 2008.
Former Falcons receiver Michael Jenkins chuckled as he remembered the first throw, which they called a 'duck,' and questioned if he was the right guy for the team.
He was.
After achieving notable numbers, Ryan officially announced his retirement, ending a 15-year career mostly as the consistent Falcons quarterback.
He signed a one-day contract with Atlanta to end his career with the team he has been with for a long time.
Ryan joked that he took a hometown discount.
The retirement wasn't a surprise, as Ryan had not played since a disappointing season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. He worked as a CBS analyst last season and received a warm welcome when he called a game in Atlanta.
Next month, Ryan turns 39 and in his career, he threw for 62,792 yards and 381 touchdowns, becoming the face of the Falcons during their most successful period.
He is ranked seventh in NFL history for passing yards, ninth for career TD passes, and won the league MVP award in 2016, leading the Falcons to their second Super Bowl appearance.
Despite a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, Ryan's career would have been more fulfilled with a championship win.
Ryan admitted the pain of falling short of the ultimate goal, acknowledging that it's part of life and something one must move on from.
The lack of a championship and the way the Falcons lost could affect Ryan's chances for a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Although a Super Bowl victory would have made things easier, former teammate Jenkins believes Ryan deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.
Three former teammates joined Ryan's retirement announcement, and team owner Arthur Blank sat with Ryan's family.
Former center Todd McClure praised Ryan for bringing professionalism to the locker room and leading the Falcons to a playoff berth in his rookie season.
Ryan helped stabilize the Falcons after a rough period caused by Michael Vick's imprisonment and Bobby Petrino's sudden departure from the head coaching position.
From the beginning, Ryan brought professionalism and skill to the team, leading them to an unexpected playoff appearance in 2008 after a challenging season.
“Looking back, the Petrino fiasco and everything that happened with Mike,” McClure said. “Being able to get a guy that would come to this organization and play for as long as he did, be the ultimate competitor, the ultimate professional, it meant a lot. He stabilized the franchise. He stabilized the fan base.”
Ryan’s first season as a rookie turned out to be the initial of five consecutive winning seasons for a team that hadn't ever achieved even back-to-back records above .500 in the first 42 years of its existence.
Ryan expressed gratitude to almost everyone who worked in the Falcons organization, from Blank and the front office, to the coaches and players, and even gave a shoutout to the training staff and media relations team for contributing to his success.
But he saved the biggest thanks for his wife, whom he met when both were athletes at Boston College.
“I would not have had the career that I’ve had without you,” Ryan said, his voice choking with emotion. “I prided myself on coming to the building every day with the same mindset and being consistent for my teammates. But I know I wasn’t that for you when I came home. You are the one person on the planet who saw how it really was every day for me.”
Ryan led Atlanta to one more playoff appearance in 2017 — a season he’s especially proud of coming off that Super Bowl disaster and the Falcons becoming the butt of jokes from around the nation.
But Ryan ended his career with five consecutive losing seasons. When the Falcons went into rebuilding mode after the 2021 season, the aging QB and his mammoth contract were dealt to the Colts for a mere third-round draft pick.
His time in Indianapolis didn’t go as expected.
Ryan posted a 4-7-1 record as the starter, had a career-low 14 touchdown passes and was benched for the first time in his pro career. At the end of the season, he was quietly released by the Colts.
Ryan joined CBS and kept an eye on possibly returning to the field with another team. He received several offers, but nothing to his liking, so he eventually decided it was time to retire.
With Ryan leading the way, the Falcons won three division titles and made six playoff appearances, also reaching the NFC championship game during the 2012 season. He had 10 consecutive seasons with more than 4,000 passing yards, highlighted by his MVP season when he set career highs with 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and a 69.9 completion percentage.
Ryan was a four-time Pro Bowl selectee and remarkably durable over his career, missing only three games during his Atlanta tenure because of injuries. After turf toe sidelined him for two games during the 2009 season, he made 154 consecutive starts before a high ankle sprain sidelined him for one week in 2019.
He finished his career with a record of 124-109-1 as a starter, including a 120-102 mark with the Falcons.
Asked if he thought his credentials were Hall of Fame-worthy, Ryan paused briefly but didn’t waver from making his pitch.
“I think my body of work is strong. I think I did a lot of things the right way,” he said. “But ultimately, it’s not my call.
“I will say this: I’m really proud of the things that I accomplished, that we accomplished as a group. If you would’ve told me at 15 this was the way it was going to shake out, I would’ve signed up for it every time.”
