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After playing 14 seasons in the NFL, Former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan announced his retirement from the league today.
The former NFL MVP made the announcement in Atlanta today, where he signed a one-day contract with the Falcons to retire with the team.
"It was a hell of a ride," Ryan said. "I'm excited to see what's nect, this next chapter of life and see where that takes us. But today, it's exciting for me because you never have control in this profession of where you're going to start and I could not have been luckier that it was a start here in Atlants and it went for 14 years and now I can bookend it and retire as a Falcons today."
Ryan didn't play last season but didn't retire the previous off-season.
Upon hearing the news, Falcons fans across social media showed respect for their former quarterback on X.
"Wasn’t expecting to get emotional today but here we are. Thank you for everything, Matty Ice. My favorite player to watch growing up and will always be my QB1," one fan tweeted.
"We love you Matt! With tears in my eyes, I thank you for everything you did for Atlanta! I’m forever grateful for all the memories, enjoy retirement!," another fan tweeted.
"No. Thank you. As the saying goes ... people often don't know what they've got until it's gone. You brought us relevance and the only winning era in Falcons history. You represented the city well and embraced Atlanta. Well done. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7)," another fan wrote.
Apart from Falcons fans, fans of all teams tipped their hats off to Ryan. Many felt he deserved to be a future Hall of Famer.
Here's what the other fans tweeted about Ryan on X.
"He belongs in Canton," one fan tweeted.
"He’s going to Canton," another fan tweeted.
"Countdown to Canton," one fan tweeted.
Re-visiting Matt Ryan's career
Matt Ryan was selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2008 NFL draft. He played for the Falcons for 13 seasons and spent his last season in 2022 with the Indianapolis Colts.
Since his first season in the NFL, Ryan has shown he can be a capable leader. He led the Falcons to an 11-5 record and won Offensive Rookie of the Year. He won league MVP in 2016 and led the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
Ryan has a 124-109-1 record and has made the postseason six times. He has 62,792 passing yards, 381 touchdowns and 183 interceptions, and he has completed 65.6% of his passes. He's been named to four Pro Bowls and once as a First-Team All-Pro.
Do you think Matt Ryan will be a Hall of Famer?
