CBS Sports has hired an offensive veteran of 15 seasons for their roster. Four-time Pro Bowler Matt Ryan will step into a different kind of uniform – NFL analyst.

The former Falcons and Colts quarterback had this to say about the development of the sports network via an Instagram post:

“Excited to join the @nfloncbs family! Looking forward to breaking down the game this season. P.S. – this is not a retirement post…”

According to a press release from CBS Sports, “Ryan will serve as an analyst for select NFL ON CBS games and also provide analysis for THE NFL TODAY, THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS), NFL MONDAY QB as well as CBS Sports HQ.”

“I have been blessed to have incredible teammates throughout my career and I am fortunate that will continue here working with and learning from the very best in the industry,” said Ryan in a statement.

“As one of the NFL’s marquee quarterbacks for the past 15 years, we’re thrilled to add Matt to our talented roster of NFL analysts,” said CBS EVP Harold Bryant.

This comes after the nearly 38-year-old Ryan was cut from the Indianapolis Colts back in the middle of March. While the roster move does help the AFC South team avoid a potential $17 million-sized price tag, there is a $12 million stipulation potentially looming.

“Ryan technically has an obligation to seek NFL employment, and to not refuse reasonable opportunities to play. If he announces “I’m out,” the Colts could — in theory — try to not pay him,” ProFootballTalk reported.

Ryan forged a professional path in the NFL that includes an Offensive Rookie of the Year award, a Super Bowl appearance, a top 10 spot in touchdown passes and a top 5 position in passing completions. Now, the next time Ryan steps onto an NFL field, he will bring his experience to a whole new team.

The Indianapolis Colts’ announcement last Wednesday that quarterback Nick Foles would start in the team’s Week 16 game against the Chargers felt like more of a surrender than anything else. Former Falcons star Matt Ryan headed to the bench for the second time this season under his second head coach, now having been replaced by two different quarterbacks. The Colts lost 20-3.

At the beginning of the season, Ryan’s move to Indianapolis spelled promise for a Colts franchise that had slowly been improving over the course of the 2021 season. He has not come close to fulfilling the role of savior since, however. Through 12 starts, he ranks 14th in passing yards, 20th in touchdowns and 25th in quarterback rating.

Following a particularly ugly loss to the Titans in Week 7, former head coach Frank Reich benched Ryan ahead of Week 8 in favor of rookie Sam Ehlinger, who only lasted two weeks before sustaining an injury. Reich was fired soon after and replaced by interim head coach Jeff Saturday, who reinstated Ryan as the starter until Week 15.

Foles’ reputation as a backup maintains a mythical quality because of his work on the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2017 season when he stepped in for Carson Wentz and led the playoff-bound team to a Super Bowl victory. This run in Indianapolis will likely be far less romantic, however, as his first start against Los Angeles resulted in an anemic 20-3 defeat. The Colts have been eliminated from playoff contention and will have to carry on without star running back Jonathan Taylor, who suffered a season-ending injury last week.

As the Colts limp through the end of a season that once seemed to hold serious potential, it’s impossible to assess the source of the team’s dysfunction without pointing to Ryan. Once a dynamic passer in Atlanta for a perennially productive offense, the 37-year-old simply has not shown the same ability in Indianapolis.

In many ways, the Colts’ offseason cannot come fast enough, as their running back needs time to recuperate while they search for a permanent head coaching replacement. Only then will they be able to reassess the quarterback position and resume a rebuild that has suffered countless setbacks since Andrew Luck’s departure in 2018.

In an offseason that has already seen numerous quarterback changes, the Indianapolis Colts are now in on the carousel: They’ve traded a third-round pick for Matt Ryan after they sent Carson Wentz packing a few weeks ago to Washington.

The Falcons, in turn, have signed Marcus Mariota as Ryan’s successor.

The 2016 NFL MVP was drafted third overall by the Falcons in 2008 and had spent the entirety of his career in the A-T-L. In 222 games, Ryan, 36, has thrown for nearly 60,000 passing yards and 367 TDs. The 2016 ended, of course, with Atlanta’s infamous 28-3 collapse in the Super Bowl to Tom Brady and the Patriots.

“He is one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league and has spearheaded numerous fourth-quarter, game-winning drives,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said. “Matt will be a fantastic representative for our organization, and I’m excited to get to work with him and the rest of the team this offseason.”

“He has represented this organization with great class, professionalism, and leadership, both on and off the field, over the past 14 years,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “It is difficult to overstate what he has meant to me personally, our organization, his teammates, and our fans.

“From his first day in the building, Matt has given his all in the pursuit of winning a championship for Atlanta. His arrival in 2008 instantly made us a contender in the NFC and he’s been our quarterback through the most successful era in Falcons history.”

Mariota—the second overall pick in the 2015 draft by the Titans, a team with which he spent five seasons—signed a two-year deal with the Falcons after his stint with the Raiders ended last season.

Set to enter his 15th NFL season, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is about to set a record. Sure, he’s moving up the all-time passing yardage ranks—he’s on the verge of entering the top five in NFL history—but the signal-caller’s salary is what is about to make league history.

Ryan is set to have a salary cap hit of $48,662,500—the largest for an NFL player in league history.

“Matty Ice’s” cap number balloons from $26,912,500 to $48,662,500 from 2021 to 2022, the fourth year of the five-year, $150 million contract extension he signed in 2018. He’ll account for a $43,612,500 hit next season.

Ryan currently takes up 23.4% of the Falcons’ salary cap space for 2022.

If they release him, the Falcons could save $8,137,500 in cap space this year, and, if they wait until after the 2022 season to move on, the franchise will save $28 million.

Ryan is coming off a year in which he recorded the fewest passing yards in a season (3,968) since 2010 and fewest passing TDs (20) since his rookie season in 2008. His 67% completion rate was the highest for Ryan since 2018, though.

He has thrown for 59,735 yards in his career, the eighth-most in NFL history. He needs 4,354 yards to surpass Ben Roethlisberger for fifth place, which he could feasibly reach next season.

Ryan’s 367 passing touchdowns are ninth all-time, 83 behind Aaron Rodgers for fifth; he needs 33 more to become the eighth player with 400 for his career.

Like most NFL records these days, Ryan’s cap hit will soon be surpassed: Josh Allen currently has an expected cap hit of $51,272,281 in 2025, and Patrick Mahomes will have a $59,950,000 cap hit in 2027.

The Falcons have been making big changes to their organization and roster in the offseason. Atlanta fired head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. The Falcons hired former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to become their new head coach. Atlanta hired Terry Fontenot as their new general manager.

Smith is a great addition to Atlanta because he oversaw the highest-scoring Titans team last year. Smith could help usher a high-scoring offense for the Falcons. Smith brought with him defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who was the defensive coordinator for the Titans.

Atlanta traded away Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones to the Titans for a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2023. This move was a long time coming, but it also means that the Falcons are moving towards a full rebuild now.

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Atlanta Falcons Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 at New York Giants
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Washington Football Team
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs New York Jets
• Week 6: BYE
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at Miami Dolphins 
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs Carolina Panthers
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Dallas Cowboys
• Week 11: Thu 11/18 vs New England Patriots
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 13: Sun 12/05 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 at San Francisco 49ers
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 vs Detroit Lions
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at Buffalo Bills
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 vs New Orleans Saints

NFC South: The Buccaneers are the favorites to win the division after Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement in the offseason. It is still possible that the Saints could remain competitive, but they would need a solid quarterback to do so. The Falcons are a long shot if they want to win the division crown.

Matchups: The Falcons’ toughest stretch of games will be from Week 10 to Week 15. The toughest opponents on their schedule are the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Bills and Saints. Overall, Atlanta actually has a pretty favorable schedule with games against the Eagles, Giants, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, Jaguars and Lions.

Overall: The Falcons traded away one of their biggest offensive players, hired a new coach and new general manager. Without Jones, the Falcons only have one true playmaker on offense in Calvin Ridley. This could be a very long season for Matt Ryan and the Falcons.

Prediction: Atlanta will finish with a 5-12, good for last place in the division.

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Despite what the rumors say, the Atlanta Falcons are not trading away Matt Ryan or Julio Jones.

Rumors had circulated that the quarterback and the star wide receiver were being actively shopped by the team. These rumors had already been present in the regular season. It was thought that the team wanted to trade away their aging quarterback before the trade deadline. With the recent wave of changes to the staff, it was believed that the team would shop the quarterback in order to move the franchise in a different direction. To a lesser extent, the team was willing to trade their star wide receiver Jones.

However, that is not the case. The Falcons wants to keep both star players in Atlanta. NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero shot down the rumors when he said, “The Falcons have not had trade conversations with any other team about Ryan or their star wide receiver Julio Jones.” The reporter went further by saying, “Every expectation is that both players are going to be on the roster in 2021.”

The team had made recent changes in their staff. The organization brought in Arthur Smith as their new head coach Terry Fontenot as the new general manger. Most experts expect that coach Smith will implement an offensive scheme that was similar to the one used during Ryan’s 2016 MVP season.

The NFL is back… sort of.

The NFL preseason kicks off on Thursday night with the annual Hall of Fame game at Tom Benson Field in Canton, Ohio. It has been 25 years since the last time that the Atlanta Falcons have played in the Hall of Fame game. Their opponents will be Joe Flacco and the Denver Broncos.

It has been three years since the last time the Falcons have won a playoff game. For head coach Dan Quinn and star quarterback Matt Ryan, it has been nothing but struggles for their Falcons since their heartbreaking loss against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos are a very different team from one year ago, let alone from when they won the Super Bowl four seasons ago. After finishing 6-10 one season ago, the Broncos fired head coach Vance Joseph and replaced him with Chicago Bears defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. The Broncos also traded away last seasons starting quarterback Case Keenum and traded for veteran Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco.

One player that the Broncos will be without is tight end Jake Butt who continues to struggle to be healthy in the NFL.

“You get concerned, obviously,” Fangio said. “Jake keeps having these little potholes, he starts feeling good and then something doesn’t feel so good … the important thing is keeping his spirits up and see where it develops and where it goes.”

The Falcons will be without star receiver Julio Jones throughout the entire pre-season as Jones feels that he does not need pre-season game action to get ready for the upcoming season.

“For me, it’s more so I’m a veteran; I’ve been doing this,” Jones said. “I don’t need the preseason to get ready. It’s a mentality thing. As long as I get my reps in practice — I practice the way I play. Once I get my reps in, I’ll be ready to go.”

Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.

The 2018 NFL season begins Thursday night, with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons.

Falcons vs. Eagles Week 1 Preview

In their last matchup, Philadelphia defeated Atlanta 15-10 early in the postseason in a game the Falcons came close to winning after a dangerously close interception attempt just seconds before halftime:

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Reigning Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles is set to be the starter for the Eagles after recovering from a preseason shoulder strain, while Carson Wentz is still nursing an ACL injury from last December. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey will also sit out Thursday’s contest, as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.

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The Falcons will keep benefiting from veteran offensive players like Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones — who is arguably one of the league’s top receivers — although they could also see a new batch of younger players give them a boost. Rookie wideout Calvin Ridley — a first-round (No. 26) pick out of Alabama — may get some playing time, while other first-year defensive players like Colorado cornerback Isaiah Oliver and South Florida defensive tackle Deadrin Senat could also have an opportunity to make a strong first impression.

Despite advancing to Super Bowl LI after the 2016 season, some Falcons veterans like Ryan and Jones have seen their performance statistics drop, although they could make a resurgence this year.

Thursday’s game in Philadelphia will start at 8:20 p.m. EST and will air on NBC.

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.

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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.

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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. 

Matt Ryan threw four touchdown passes for 392 yards and ran in for one score to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 44-21 home rout of the Green Bay Packers in Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game.

Matt Ryan, Falcons Dominate Packers In 44-21 NFC Championship Win

The Falcons, who have the top scoring offense in the NFL, controlled the game from their first possession, as wide receiver Mohamed Sanu scored on a 2-yard shovel pass from Ryan. That marked the eighth consecutive game Atlanta has scored on its opening drive.

The Packers, meanwhile, struggled from their opening drive, with Mason Crosby missing a 41-yard field goal attempt.

After the Falcons’ Matt Bryant made a 28-yard field goal to push the score to 10-0, Atlanta’s defense recorded its 10th straight game with a takeaway as cornerback Jalen Collins forced and recovered a fumble from fullback Aaron Ripkowski with 10:59 remaining in the second quarter.

Just minutes later, Ryan ran in from 14 yards, earning his first rushing touchdown since 2012, to make it 17-0. Fans chanted, “MVP! MVP! MVP!” for the 31-year-old quarterback.

“We’ve worked hard to get to this point, but the challenge is still in front of us,” Ryan said. “What we set out to accomplish is still in front of us.”

Julio Jones had nine catches for 180 yards and two scores.

The Packers’ woes continued as they found themselves on their own 13 on third down late in the first half. Aaron Rodgers tossed a deep ball that was intercepted by safety Ricardo Allen. Jones took advantage and brought in a Ryan pass for a 5-yard touchdown just before halftime to make it 24-0.

In the Rodgers era at Green Bay, which began in 2008, it marked the first time the Packers trailed by 24 or more points at halftime. It also marked the first time the team was shut out in the first half of a playoff game since 2002.

The Falcons will thus face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Feb. 5. The Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 at Gillette Stadium.

ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 22: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons attempts a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter in the NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome on January 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Matt Ryan threw for 344 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions Thursday night to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 43-28 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Matt Ryan, Falcons Roll Past Buccaneers 43-28

The Falcons (6-3) have thus maintained their lead in the NFC South, and avenged a 7-point home loss to the Buccaneers (3-5) in the season opener.

“First game of the year, they played a little better than we did that day,” Ryan said after tossing scoring passes to four different targets. “I felt like we have continued to improve from that time of year. For me, that’s like the best thing from a confidence standpoint — that we continue to get better week in and week out.”

Julio Jones played another strong game, with eight catches for 111 yards. It was the Falcons receiver’s fifth 100-yard game of the season, 33rd of his career.

“The amount of guys that get involved in the game is a big topic for us,” Atlanta coach Dan Quinn said.