Ryan elected to stay in the studio rather than return to the field
Matt Ryan on whether he considered returning to NFL
Former Atlanta Falcons star Matt Ryan tells Fox News Digital whether he weighed returning to the NFL amid spate of injuries.
LAS VEGAS – NFL quarterbacks seemed to have a major problem with staying healthy throughout the 2023 season.
Star players like Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins, Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers were just some of the quarterbacks who missed all or part of the season.
Matt Ryan, 38, stepped off the football field to enter the CBS studio after playing the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts. He told Fox News Digital his agent was getting calls from teams with quarterback offers, but he elected to stay in the booth.
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Matt Ryan speaks on SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
"My agent was wearing me out this season getting calls from different places," the 2016 NFL MVP said. "To me, I was comfortable with what I was doing for CBS. I really enjoyed that part of it this fall. It’s right where my family’s at and family life and those kind of things.
"I think it made the most sense for me to kinda move on. There’s still that part in the back of your head that feels like you can go play, and I think there’s probably always something as a former athlete.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan (2) warms up prior to the start of a game against the Detroit Lions Dec. 26, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"It never got too serious. For me, I really had a blast doing what I was doing this year."
Ryan talked to Fox News Digital from radio row at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. He was raising awareness about the 10th anniversary of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Raising money to cure the disease is something that hits close to home for Ryan. His friend Pete Frates suffered from the disease and died in 2019. Frates was credited with starting the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised in hopes of finding a cure.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan warms up prior to a game against the New Orleans Saints Jan. 9, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"Just out here today to continue to remind people that progress needs to be made in fighting ALS," Ryan said.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
