Matt Ryan’s time with the Indianapolis Colts is likely finished but there are probably still a few teams in the NFL ready to sign the veteran quarterback.
This wasn’t the way things were supposed to go. When the Indianapolis Colts acquired Matt Ryan last offseason, Indy did so with intentions for Ryan to be the team’s starting quarterback for at least a couple of seasons. However, things did not go as planned for the Colts or Matt Ryan, and now they’ll likely be parting after one season.
During that one season, Indianapolis went 4-12-1, and Ryan started just 12 games. The reason he only played in 12 games is that he was benched twice. In the 12 games he played, Indy’s record was 4-7-1 and Ryan completed 67% of his passes for 3,057 yards and 14 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Ryan also had 13 interceptions and 15 fumbles.
Ryan struggled, and he owns that. However, the Colts didn’t make things easy for him like everyone assumed they would. Indy’s offensive line was horrible, and as a result, the offense didn’t have a rushing attack, and Ryan was often on the ground and under duress. So while some are arguing that this underwhelming season should force Ryan to retire, Ryan is insisting that he wants to continue playing, and believes he has something left in the tank that he can show in the right circumstances.
Will Ryan have the opportunity to prove himself again? Considering the season he’s coming off, will any teams want to give the soon-to-be 38-year-old Ryan a chance? There are some teams in the NFL that will likely be willing to add Ryan to their roster. Let’s take a look at four of those teams.
4. Las Vegas Raiders may be willing to sign Matt Ryan
The Las Vegas Raiders are in an interesting spot because they have a talented roster, especially offensively, but they don’t have a quarterback. The Raiders recently released Derek Carr, and he signed with the New Orleans Saints. That leaves Vegas with Jarrett Stidham, and the team probably won’t be satisfied if they were rolling into the season with Stidham as their QB1.
That's why the Raiders have been linked to several veteran quarterbacks that are available this offseason. When the season first ended, the Raiders were considered a top destination for Aaron Rodgers. However, it now seems like Rodgers has his sights set on the New York Jets. Vegas has also been linked to Jimmy Garoppolo. The Raiders could even trade up and draft a rookie quarterback.
If none of that happens for the Raiders, they could explore signing Matt Ryan. Although he’s coming off an underwhelming season, he had some promising moments in 2022 that would likely shine through more frequently in the Raiders’ offense. Vegas has a competent offensive line, along with weapons like Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow.
3. New York Jets may be willing to sign Matt Ryan
The New York Jets are currently locked in on trying to acquire Aaron Rodgers. That would be a great pickup for New York. Rodgers is still playing pretty good football and the Jets have a young and talented team on both sides of the ball. They are also coming off a 7-10 season where their biggest issue was at quarterback.
If New York acquires Rodgers, many people believe they are instant contenders. However, what happens if the Rodgers’ situation falls through? Do the Jets turn back to Zach Wilson, who they’ve basically admitted to the world that they don’t believe in? Will they re-sign Joe Flacco and roll with him? Probably not.
Matt Ryan isn’t the late-30s quarterback that the Jets are hoping to land, but he could be one of the best veteran options for them if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t happen. All the quarterback-needy teams that aren’t in position to select a guy in the draft will probably make a run at Jimmy G, but there’s only one of him.
If the Jets don’t land Rodgers or Garoppolo, it won’t really hurt to bring in Matt Ryan. New York could allow Wilson and Ryan to compete to see who best benefits the talented roster as the Jets try and win games in 2023.
2. San Francisco 49ers may be willing to sign Matt Ryan
The San Francisco 49ers have been floated as the team most likely to sign Matt Ryan. The main reason why is that 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for Matt Ryan a couple of seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. So Ryan makes perfect sense as a veteran backup since he’s familiar with Shanahan’s offense.
The reason San Francisco needs to find solid backups is that the health of their quarterback room has been really unfortunate. Last season, the 49ers lost Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Brock Purdy all to injury. On Friday, Purdy had surgery on his throwing elbow, and the hope is that he’ll be ready later in the offseason to compete with Lance for the starting spot.
With both guys healthy, San Francisco would have two promising, young quarterbacks. However, adding a QB3 like Matt Ryan would provide the 49ers with extra security just in case anything like this past season happens next season. With Ryan on the roster, he’d be ready to step into an offense that he’s familiar with and keep things rolling.
The biggest problem in this equation is that Ryan is likely hoping for a situation where he can play. He probably doesn’t want to go to a team where he’d have to wait around for two injuries just to get a chance to play.
1. Miami Dolphins may be willing to sign Matt Ryan
Another team running the Shanahan offense is the Miami Dolphins and they also need a backup quarterback. Miami’s head coach, Mike McDaniel, came up under Kyle Shanahan and was an offensive assistant when Shanahan was in Atlanta with Matt Ryan. After a year as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, McDaniel is now running things for the Dolphins.
Upon arrival, McDaniel got Miami’s offense rolling with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle. They were able to silence any questions about if Tua was the quarterback for this team, and the Dolphins continued that commitment by picking up Tua’s fifth-year option on Friday. However, questions remain about Tua’s health.
The Dolphins want Tua to be their quarterback, and he proved he can ball when healthy, however, staying healthy was a challenge for Tua this past season as he dealt with multiple concussions. So Miami knows that if the team is rolling with Tua as QB1, the Dolphins must have a competent backup quarterback, just in case.
That's where Matt Ryan can step in. He’s familiar with the Shanahan-type offenses, and even in the worst season of his career last year with the Colts, he showed that he still has some competent football in him. Playing in a reserve role in an explosive offense with weapons like Waddle and Hill, would surely set Ryan up for success if he ever had to fill in for Tagovailoa.
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