Matt Ryan announced his official retirement on Monday.
The quarterback signed a ceremonial contract with the Atlanta Falcons to end his career where he spent 14 of his 15 seasons. In conjunction with the announcement, the team shared a video of Ryan reading a heartfelt farewell letter/
Ryan expressed gratitude for his former teammates, coaches, and the Falcons organization.
“I truly believe that football, like life, is not simply about what you do but rather who you do it with. And I was a better player because of the people I was surrounded by,” Ryan said. “So today, 16 years after being drafted, my childhood dream has officially come to an end.”
Falcons fans celebrated the four-time Pro Bowler on social media.
“This video is so incredibly put together highlighting Ryan’s career journey,” The Falcoholic’s Allen Strk wrote. “I love how much gratitude he has for his teammates, coaches, and Atlanta as a city. He truly loved being a Falcon. Couldn’t ask for a better person to be the greatest player in franchise history.”
“I’m not crying, you are,” a fan said. “THE Greatest Falcons QB of all time, and one of my favorite players ever. Thank you for everything.”
“Greatest Falcon of all time,” Adnan Ikic declared.
“Heck of a career #2,” a fan wrote. “Thank you for the fantastic memories! Wish you nothing but the absolute best in your retirement.”
With 59,735 career passing yards with Atlanta, Ryan more than doubles runner-up Steve Bartkowski (23,470) atop the franchise’s all-time leaderboard. He’s also first in passing touchdowns (367) and wins (120) by a wide margin.
The 2016 MVP nearly led the Falcons to their first Super Bowl win. He missed one game over his final 12 seasons in Atlanta and topped 4,000 yards nine straight times from 2011 to 2022.
“To the fans of Atlanta, I want to say thank you,” Ryan said during Monday’s press conference. “For the 14 years that I was the quarterback here, I felt the passion and energy all the time.”