Atlanta Falcons Ex QB Matt Ryan Reveals Thoughts on Coaching Future

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan announced his retirement from the NFL on April 22.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Ryan spent 14 seasons playing quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and another with the Indianapolis Colts before transitioning to the broadcast booth in 2023.

During his year away, Ryan missed the sport’s physicality and the relationships formed within the locker room — and with him announcing his retirement April 22, he won’t get the chance to taste the former.

But the latter still exists, with coaching presenting itself as a viable avenue toward finding bonds throughout the taxing nature of the NFL calendar.

However, there’s a snag: Ryan has no plans of putting on the headset anytime soon.

“I know this: I don’t want to coach,” Ryan said. “I’m certain of that. I haven’t had any of those conversations. I’ve really been enjoying the broadcasting side of it and have had a lot of fun with that.”

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The 38-year-old Ryan finished his NFL career with 62,792 passing yards and 381 touchdowns, each ranking top-10 in league history. He completed 65.6 percent of his passes across 234 games, all starts, and finished with a record of 124-109-1.

Due to his track record, leadership and innate understanding of what it takes to succeed at the highest level, Ryan boasts the profile of a potential coach, and others — from Frank Reich and Josh McCown to Byron Leftwich and former teammate Matt Schaub — have made the transition from taking snaps under center to holding the clipboard on the sideline.

But Ryan feels his playing experience shed a detailed light on the challenges of coaching, and he presently wants little part of it.

“I put so much into it as a player for 15 years, and there’s this immediate withdrawal from it,” Ryan said. “But I know what those roles look like and how invested and how hard those guys have to work, and the level of expertise and work it takes to get there.”

Perhaps Ryan eventually changes his mind, but for now, he's focused on his family, his non-profit and calling games for CBS — and potentially battling the occasional urge to get hit and get back up again, surrounded by the teammates he's scrapped alongside for years.