Matt Ryan’s New Hall of Fame Ball Has a Very Unfortunate Number on It

Colts quarterback Matt Ryan accomplished a feat that only seven other quarterbacks have done before him during the team’s season opener last weekend.

On Sunday’s 20–20 tie vs. the Texans, Ryan officially reached 60,000 career passing yards. The ball the quarterback used to pass this milestone was later put on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

However, there’s an unfortunate detail on the ball in regards to Ryan’s NFL career.

The football happens to be No. 283. While some may wonder what this number means in Ryan’s NFL career, we’ll revisit Super Bowl LI, in which Ryan’s Falcons at the time led Tom Brady’s Patriots, 28–3. Despite the major lead, the Falcons ended up losing 34–28, giving Brady his fifth Super Bowl title.

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Any reference to the 28–3 lead continues to haunt Ryan even over five years later—and after he’s moved on to play for another team. Additionally, Brady happens to lead the list of quarterbacks with the most passing yards with 84,732.

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