Matt Ryan Injury Update: Latest on Falcons QB’s Ankle

Getty Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons fell to 1-6 after losing to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but perhaps the biggest blow the team received came with 13:40 left in the fourth quarter. After being on the receiving end of a strip sack by Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan injured his ankle and left the game. Here is the play on which Ryan injured his ankle:

Ryan went to the medical tent before limping back to the locker room. He did not return to the game. He had a boot on his ankle after the game was over, which caused some alarm. So how serious is Ryan’s ankle injury?


Matt Ryan Injury: When Could Falcons QB Return

matt ryan injury falcons

GettyMatt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons suffered an ankle sprain Sunday against the Rams. His status for Week 8 is yet unknown. (Getty images).

Monday, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn revealed that Ryan suffered an ankle sprain. Quinn said that Ryan’s toughness makes it impossible to rule him out next week, as he has played through injuries multiple times in the past.

Dr. Jesse Morse, orthopedic specialist, had the following to say about Ryan’s injury: “it looks like a high ankle sprain…these injuries are becoming a little more common, or at least announced. In a quarterback, these are not as concerning, I would say, as someone like Saquan,” Morse said, also noting that Patrick Mahomes recently tried to play through this exact same injury, but was less effective than he typically is when healthy.

“My suspicion is Matt Ryan will probably miss next week…a normal rule of thumb is anywhere from two weeks to six weeks depending on the severity, and if there’s anything else. Expect him to get x-rays and likely an MRI tomorrow to see how much damage there is…they usually aren’t super aggressive in surgery at this level…I suspect they’ll shut down Ryan for a couple weeks if they can,” Morse said.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn confirmed the ankle sprain Monday, but didn’t reveal any further diagnosis: “He does have a sprained ankle,” Quinn said. “We’ll be preparing both ways. If he can (play) that’s great. If he can’t, then the bye will have come at a good time for him next week. He’s already in the pool and running.”

Dr. David Chao, sports medical analyst, agrees with the high ankle sprain diagnosis.

Chao noted that Ryan’s injury was likely not a serious one, and he will not need surgery. Ryan is scheduled to get an MRI sometime today. His status for the Falcons Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks is yet unknown. We will have the results of the MRI, as well as any additional updates surrounding Ryan and his injury, as soon as they become available.

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