Report: Colts acquire QB Matt Ryan in trade with Falcons originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Another NFL quarterback is on the move this offseason.
The Atlanta Falcons traded longtime starter Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick. NFL Network first reported the news before Atlanta later announced the deal.
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The Falcons will incur a dead cap hit of $40.525 million after trading Ryan, the largest in NFL history.
It is clear that they are moving into a rebuilding phase after moving on from their starter of 14 years. Atlanta later announced that it had signed Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal.
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Ryan, who will turn 37 in May, was drafted No. 3 overall by the Falcons in 2008. The Boston College alum started all but three games over his 14 seasons in Atlanta, missing two starts in 2009 and one start in 2019. Ryan won league MVP in 2016, leading the Falcons to the Super Bowl before losing in infamous fashion to the New England Patriots.
While Ryan hasn't maintained that MVP level in recent years, he has been a capable starter. In 2021, Ryan had 3,968 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The Colts have started a different quarterback in each of the last four seasons, going from Andrew Luck to Jacoby Brissett to Philip Rivers to Carson Wentz. Wentz started all 17 games for the Colts last season, but was traded to the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason. The hope is that Ryan will put an end to this quarterback carousel.
