Heading into the offseason, one of the top pending priorities on the docket for the Atlanta Falcons is the looming contract situation for former NFL MVP quarterback Matt Ryan. He is heading into the final year of his five-year, $103.7 million deal that has him on pace to enter the 2019 free-agent market.
There haven't been reports over the last few months about the two side progressing toward a new deal. According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, general manager Thomas Dimitroff stated that he can't put a timetable on when a new extension will be worked out with the 32-year-old.
“I couldn’t even put a (timetable on it). I don’t know how close we are,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said on Wednesday. “I can’t. We talk about it and it seems like things are right around the corner.”
This should be the top priority for the Falcons this offseason, but they're focused first on sorting through the free agency period and the upcoming draft. Of course, they still have several months before the 2018 season to get something done.
The negotiation process should be quite quick given that Ryan is still playing at a high level at this point as he enters his 11th season in the league. He has put together an impressive career, earning four Pro Bowl selections, a First-Team All-Pro nod, an NFL MVP award, and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He is just a season removed from garnering his first MVP award after setting franchise-best marks with 4,944 passing yards and 38 touchdowns passes. He also posted the fifth-best passer rating all-time at 117.1.
At this point, there is no reason for Falcons fans to truly be concerned that a contract won't be worked out at some point this offseason, but it's surprising that it hasn't progressed further.
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