Ryan did not rule out a possible NFL return
Former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan hasn’t ruled out a return to football, but it would be safe to assume he may have ruled out a possible return to the Indianapolis Colts.
When the former Atlanta Falcons signal-caller announced in May he was stepping inside the broadcast booth as an analyst for CBS Sports this upcoming season, he made it clear in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, it was "not a retirement post."
Matt Ryan (2) of the Indianapolis Colts during warmups before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium Oct. 2, 2022, in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
He doubled down on that during an interview with The Athletic published this week.
"I’m staying in shape. I think it is kind of, ‘You know my number. You know where I’m at.’ If anything were to come up, you know, we’ll see," he told the outlet. "(CBS) is where my focus is at right now. But we’ll see how the season shakes out."
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But after recalling his time with the Colts, it seems unlikely Ryan would consider a return to Indianapolis.
"I mean, it was a s--- show, you know. It was a s--- show of 18 months basically is the best way to describe it," he said. "But I think everybody in our family handled it well and came out of it stronger and in a really good spot."
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan talks on the sidelines during a timeout in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Nov. 28, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ryan, 38, played 14 seasons in Atlanta, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and in 2016 was named league MVP, the same season he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
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He was traded to the Colts in 2022 in exchange for a third-round draft pick, starting 12 games. He was released after finishing the season with 3,057 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
"The biggest thing that I took away from that situation is I wasn’t going to let one bad week ruin 14 years of awesome, of really positive, great experiences," Ryan told The Athletic.
Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL London 2021 game against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Oct. 10, 2021, in London. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
"You also come to realize the business side of it. I understand that there are difficult decisions that need to be made, and there’s a right or wrong way to do those kinds of things. Would I have liked some of it to be different? Yeah, but it wasn’t handled badly. It was just a situation that was difficult for all parties involved."
Ryan will enter the 2023 season in new territory again as he prepares to make appearances on CBS Sports as a game analyst for select games and provide commentary on "The NFL Today" and other network shows.
Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
