With Philip Rivers Back, Matt Ryan Reflects on Comeback Offers

The longtime Atlanta Falcons star quarterback has been asked in the past about a comeback, but a return doesn't go beyond a fun idea

Matt Ryan has been approached about a comeback in the past, but it just hasn't been in the cards | Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

Matt Ryan spent 15 years in the NFL, 14 with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Indianapolis Colts, before calling it a career after the 2022 season. A former league MVP and four-time Pro Bowler, Ryan led Atlanta to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2016 season and helped guide the franchise to two NFC Championship games.  

When Ryan joined the NFL Network set last week, he dropped a surprising revelation: Phillip Rivers isn’t the only retired quarterback who has received a call to return to the league since retirement.

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“There were a few times that year [2023],” Ryan said when asked the last time he was reached out to by teams. “But nothing that was right for me or the family, or for the teams, for that matter.” 

However, even two years after teams reached out, the quarterback admitted this weekend that the thought of returning to the NFL hasn’t completely faded from his mind.

“I’ve had these feelings where I’ve been sitting and watching games and been like, man, I think I could go out there and do it,” Ryan said on NFLonCBS. 

NFL fans saw Rivers return to action Sunday, as he suited up for the Indianapolis Colts for the first time in half a decade. In his 2025 debut, the 44-year-old quarterback completed 18 of his 27 passes (66.7%) for 127 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and nearly beat the 10-win Seattle Seahawks. Not an otherworldly performance, but not a bad showing for a guy who’s 40 years old and was sitting on his couch last week.

If Ryan ultimately did want to return, a reunion in Atlanta wouldn’t be entirely impossible. The Falcons have an out in Kirk Cousins’s contract after two seasons, though doing so would still leave the team with a $35 million cap hit. It’s steep, but it could be preferable over paying out the rest of the deal. 

With Michael Penix Jr. not expected to be ready for Week 1, they would need a bridge quarterback, and with a weak free agent class, who better than Ryan, who was dubbed as “Mr.Atlanta” by head coach Raheem Morris last season. 

Financially speaking, a reunion would also make sense. Rivers returned to Indianapolis on a veteran minimum after initially joining the team’s practice squad, a path Ryan could follow if he chose to explore a comeback.

Still, despite the speculation, a return to the Atlanta Falcons remains unlikely, despite how fun it would be. Matt Ryan himself acknowledged that his body has not fully cooperated with the idea, noting that his arm didn’t feel great after throwing with Matthew Stafford earlier in the offseason. It serves as a reminder that the grind of the wear and tear of an NFL season is no joke.