Former Colts QB Matt Ryan has found his next destination, transitioning to television

New Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan takes questions during a press conference on Tuesday, March 22,
New Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan takes questions during a press conference on Tuesday, March 22, / Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY
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After one season with the Indianapolis Colts, veteran quarterback Matt Ryan will be spending his 2023 season on TV and not on the football field.

After being released by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason, veteran quarterback Matt Ryan has lingered in free agency. On Monday, Ryan’s free agency came to an end, but he didn’t sign with an NFL team. It was announced that Matt Ryan will be making his transition to television, working as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.

Matt Ryan joins CBS Sports as an NFL analyst

After 15 seasons as a starting quarterback in the NFL, Ryan is equipped to break down the game for viewers. Additionally, this won’t be Ryan’s first time on the job. During last season’s playoffs, Ryan made an appearance on CBS’ game day studio show, and everyone agreed that he seemed like a natural television analyst. He’ll now have the opportunity to do it full time all throughout the season.

In a CBS Sports press release announcing the move, Ryan expressed, “It is truly an honor to join this exceptional team at CBS Sports. 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.”

So, does this mean Matt Ryan is officially hanging up the cleats? Not quite.

Is Matt Ryan retiring?

When Ryan tweeted out the news that he would be joining CBS Sports as an NFL analyst, he made clear that “this is not a retirement post.” So no, Matt Ryan isn’t retired. That probably means that he will remain open to any opportunities that present themselves throughout the season while he’s working with CBS Sports.

After spending his first 14 seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts last offseason. Expectations were extremely high for Ryan’s partnership with Indianapolis, but things ultimately turned out to be a disaster.

He ended up playing just 12 games, being benched twice, and finishing the season with 3,057 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 15 fumbles, and a 67% completion percentage. To Ryan’s defense, the Colts have been honest about the fact that they didn’t provide him with the best circumstances, putting him behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines.

Ryan maintained that he still has a lot left in the tank, and wasn’t quite ready to walk away from the game when last season ended. For now, he’ll be working with CBS Sports, and we’ll see if any team comes calling to see what exactly Ryan has left in the tank.

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