The Athletic recently released the publication's latest NFL quarterback rankings while Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan came in at No. 1 on such a list — among tier two signal callers that is.

With Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leading the way for The Athletic, Ryan just missed out on the first tier so it appears.

“An offensive coordinator thought there was a case for Ryan as a 1, but he thought spotty performance in big games made the case less convincing,” writes Mike Sando of The Athletic.

However, at least one NFL general manager has an idea as to why Ryan has fallen off the last couple of seasons.

While Ryan has always produced solid numbers, the loss of former Falcons offensive coordinator and current San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan certainly hasn't helped things down in Atlanta.

“He was on his way to being a major one if Kyle Shanahan had stayed (as offensive coordinator),” one NFL general manager recently told The Athletic, via the aforementioned Sando. “The coordinator changes he has gone through have led to some inconsistencies. He has a chance now with Dirk Koetter. I’m not as scared of Ryan in pure pass, but when he gets going, he can carry a team.”

Of course, Ryan previously led the Falcons to an NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance a few seasons back before ultimately coming up short against the aforementioned Brady and the heralded Patriots in what unfortunately became quite an infamous showdown.