News

Falcons QB Matt Ryan Signs Five-Year, $150M Extension With Team For Record Per-Year Salary

Matt Ryan just made NFL history in signing a contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons.

Matt Ryan Signs Extension with Falcons

The quarterback, who will be 33 this month, has inked a $150 million, five-year deal with the team that includes $100 million guaranteed. According to ESPN, Ryan is now the first NFL player to make $30 million per year.

Ryan was heading into the last year of a five-year extension he signed in July 2013. Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins held the previous record for the highest per-year salary with $28 million. Next on the list are two other passers: San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5 million) and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford ($27 million). Cousins had $84 million guaranteed in one deal he signed.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Ryan helped lead the Falcons to the Super Bowl after the 2016 season, where they lost to the New England Patriots in overtime. The former Boston College star — the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 Draft — was named NFL MVP that year.

Per ESPN, Ryan boasts the league record with a 64-game streak of 200 or more passing yards. He is 4-6 in the postseason and has appeared in two NFC Championship Games.

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

The Falcons finished 10-6 in 2017 for third in the NFC South. The team did not pick any quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Instead, Atlanta took Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley, South Florida defensive tackle Deaderin Senat and Southern Miss running back Ito Smith. The Falcons also selected LSU wideout Russell Gage, Colorado cornerback Isaiah Oliver and Yale linebacker Foyesade Oluokun. 

 

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Joe Flacco Tells Shedeur Sanders He ‘Looks Like An Idiot’ Wearing A Visor — But He’s Still Wearing One

Shedeur Sanders got a locker-room education from a 41-year-old Super Bowl winner about looking "sweet,"…

8 hours ago

Jake Paul Nears Sparring Return, Says He’s Done Chasing Olympic Heavyweights After Anthony Joshua Fractured His Jaw

Seven months after Anthony Joshua's right hand ended his night — and briefly his ability…

8 hours ago

Minnesota Is Betting Its Title Window On LaMelo Ball’s Personality As Much As His Talent

For a Minnesota Timberwolves team that spent much of last season sulking its way through…

8 hours ago

LSU Tigers 2026-2027 Season Outlook: Schedule, Odds & Tickets

LSU's downward spiral continued after the Tigers finished the 2025 season with a disappointing 7–6…

8 hours ago

More Than Just Soccer At Stake Between England & Argentina: The History Behind a Heated Rivalry

Argentina's dramatic 2-1 victory over England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup added another chapter…

9 hours ago

Republican Lawmakers Demand WNBA ‘Accountability’ Over ‘Civil Rights’ Violations Of Caitlin Clark

Eleven Republican members of Congress, led by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), sent a letter to…

1 day ago