The Atlanta Falcons finished their first season under head coach Arthur Smith with a 7-10 record. Atlanta shockingly had an outside chance at the playoffs, which is a lot better than what many people expected out of the roster coming out of training camp. Smith will now head into his first Falcons offseason with options to improve the team both in the short and long term. One of the key players involved in those decisions is quarterback Matt Ryan. Smith got brutally honest on Ryan's future with the team, via Falcons Wire of USA Today.

“I don’t think it’s smart business to sit there and box yourself in and say 100 percent this is going to happen. You got to keep every option on the table because the ultimate goal is to improve the team and to win a championship,” stated Smith.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith gave a very honest take on his vision for the future with Matt Ryan. Smith spoke about how Ryan played well this season despite dealing with absences, though that the goal is to always “improve the team and win a championship.”

Smith also provided an interesting quote, saying that he feels that Ryan has “a lot of good football left” but that it's not smart to rule anything out.

It sure sounds like Smith and the Falcons are going to approach this offseason keeping their options at quarterback wide open. Yes, Ryan can still play but he is approaching 37 and carries a $16 million cap hit in 2022- and a $20 million cap hit the following season.

Arthur Smith and the Falcons would be wise to explore all avenues when it comes to Matt Ryan's future.