While the Falcons haven’t made it clear on what they’ll do with Matt Ryan next season, speculation continues to heat up as the season comes to an end.
And yes, there are plenty of obstacles if Atlanta does decide to move on from their MVP QB but Falcons president Rich McKay said there is always a way around the barrier.
With that being said, the Falcons could potentially look to trade Matt Ryan for more draft picks as they continue to rebuild and plenty of insiders and analysts agree the 49ers would be their best bet.
Matt Ryan Reunites With Former Coach
Will 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem 100% sold on moving on from Jimmy G., reuniting with Matt Ryan might make him quickly change his mind.
Matt Ryan had his best season yet under Shanahan in 2016 where he won MVP and took Atlanta to the Super Bowl (no need to recap). During the 2016 regular season, Ryan completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Still, a change-up could be nice, and some fresh weapons around him could make a whole difference.
FS1 analyst, Nick Wright of First Things First believes the Niners could get right back on track of being Super Bowl contenders with Ryan under center.
“If you’re the rest of the NFC”, Wright explained, “and San Francisco has a bit of a setback year, all of the injuries, Super Bowl hangover, Jimmy G doesn’t get better, and all of a sudden, it’s that system with [Nick Bosa] back from injury, Solomon Thomas back, and Matt Ryan with those guys, to me, San Francisco goes right back to where they were last year as the favorites in the NFC.”
This season, Ryan has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 4,016 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with two games left to go.
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What’s in the Way?
According to Mckay, nothing is really ever in the way of a negotiation, but let’s take a look at why it could be difficult.
Back in 2018, Garoppolo negotiated a no-trade clause into his contract which he was smart to do that so when a year like this one rolled around he would have a safe zone. The Niners however were smart on their end too and paid him upfront so, now if they wanted to move it would cost them just $2.8 million.
What could resolve the issue would be the team that drafted him, the New England Patriots, asking for a deal. The Pats are long gone from the playoffs and Cam Newton just didn’t cut it for them. And they’re not in the running for a top QB in this year’s draft so Coach Bill Belichick might look for options and Jimmy G. is not a bad move. Also, Garappolo might want out of the Bay area after all the hate he received from fans this season.
As for Matty Ice, his cap hit is well over $40 million until 2022 which could be tough to take this season, especially with COVID-19 economic impact.
Again, there could still be some huge offers on the table too hard to pass up, and to note, Falcons president Arthur Blank isn’t fully committed to keeping him around.
“Matt has the ability to play at a very high level, even at this age”, Blank told ESPN. “Whether that’s going to continue or not, I’m not sure. I appreciate his willingness to consider doing that and the level at what he’s played for us for 13 years, which has been incredible. So we’ll have to see. But then again, that’s going to be a decision, at the end of the day, that part of it will be up to the player; part of it will be up to the coaching staff. And whether or not Matt can keep himself together. God willing, he’ll be able to do that and play at the level that he’s capable of playing at.”
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NFL Rumors: Why Falcons Matt Ryan to 49ers Makes Sense