Atlanta Falcons Trade Quarterback Matt Ryan to Indianapolis Colts

The quarterback carousel continues, and Matt Ryan is the latest signal-caller with a new home.

After spending the first 14 seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback has been traded to the Indianapolis Colts.

In exchange for Ryan, the Falcons get a third-round pick.

Indy traded last year’s starter Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders earlier this month, meaning it has been in the market for a new starter in recent weeks. Now, the Colts will get one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the NFL, after it became clear that Ryan was on the market once the Falcons made a serious move to acquire Deshaun Watson.

Ryan is coming off a 2021 season in which he threw for 3,968 yards, 20 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and he is currently eighth on the all-time passing yards list with 59,735 in his career. That trails only Tom Brady among active quarterbacks.

Although he hadn’t taken the Falcons to the playoffs since the 2017 season, Ryan owns six seasons of winning at least 10 games as a starter. He was also named the league MVP in 2016, when he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl.

With Ryan being traded, the Falcons are off the hook for the $7.5 million roster bonus that he would have been owed if he were still on the team come Tuesday.

The move impacts the Colts and Falcons directly, but it also has implications on the status of former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. 

With the Browns trading for Watson, Mayfield’s time in Cleveland is coming to an end, and it was reported that he had named the Colts as one of his preferred landing spots if traded. That option appears to be off the board, leaving few teams with the immediate need for a starting quarterback.

Ryan’s arrival in the AFC now gives the conference 10 starting quarterbacks that have been named to at least one Pro Bowl.

Matt Ryan to Colts: What does it mean?

The Atlanta Falcons have reportedly agreed to trade Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick. Colin Cowherd reacts to the news and what this means for both teams and Ryan.