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Long-time starting quarterback Matt Ryan is entering his 14th season with the Atlanta Falcons and has yet to win a Super Bowl.
However, he doesn’t seem too concerned about it nor is he even looking that far ahead into the season.
Ryan revealed his goal for 2021 and it’s a lot simpler than notching a Super Bowl ring, sort of.
“I’m at the point where it’s about winning games,” Ryan told reporters. “Whatever they’re asking me to do, whatever role I can play within our offense to give us the best chance to win. That’s all I care about.”
And at 36-years-old, Ryan feels better than ever to accomplish that goal.
“I feel as good as I ever have,” Ryan said. “When I’m out on the field I feel as athletic and well-conditioned as I’ve ever been.”
Ryan on Proving Himself: “The Rent Is Due Every Day”
Ryan might not recover like he used to, but he claims he is even more confident in his worn-down body than he was in his younger days.
“In terms of training, knowing when to push and when to recover,” Ryan said, “I feel a lot more comfortable with that part of my life than I did at 23 years old.”
The MVP quarterback isn’t losing his job anytime soon after the Falcons decided to pass on drafting a quarterback and went with a new weapon for him instead in tight end, Kyle Pitts. Still, Ryan knows he must continue to prove himself every single season.
“The lockers that we have are not owned, they are rented,” Ryan said. “The rent is due every day by putting in work.”
There are a lot of doubters with Ryan leading the Falcons again in 2020, but must I remind you that despite a poor 2020 record, he finished the season ranked fourth with 4,581 passing yards.
Ryan Enters His First Season Without Julio Jones
Ryan knew his former partner in crime, Julio Jones, wanted a change of scenery but admitted that he didn’t find out about the trade until the rest of the world did.
The offense will look a bit different without Jones as the No. 1 option and Ryan isn’t really sure what to expect.
“I don’t know,” Ryan said when asked what the offense might look like without Jones. “He’s been such a cornerstone of what we’ve done for a long time. I don’t know. That’s a hypothetical. I don’t really want to go down that road. That’s not really my business. But he’s been such a great player, he’s a hell of a teammate. I love him. We’ll see how things shake out, but he’s probably impacted my career more significantly than any other player. I’ve been really fortunate to be around him for as long as I have.”
Since Jones was drafted by Atlanta in 2011, Ryan made three Pro Bowls, been named first-team All-Pro, won MVP and took a trip to the Super Bowl. He also threw for 4,000-plus yards every single year since with Jones on the field.
With Jones gone, all eyes will be on Pitts and rising star wideout Calvin Ridley along with new head coach Arthur Smith.
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