Atlanta Falcons Agree to a 5-year Extension with QB Matt Ryan

Falcons' Matt Ryan vs. the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Divisional Round. Photo by Gregory Vasil/CSM/REX/Shutterstock

Quarterback Matt Ryan and Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a five-year extension, the team has announced on Thursday. The extension will see Ryan becoming the first player in NFL to earn $30 million annually, while the contract includes $100 million guaranteed. The 32-year-old was entering the final year of the $103.75 million extension he signed in 2013.
Falcons confirmed the deal on their official social media accounts.

Matt is getting what he has earned and we all know the marketplace for a great quarterback,” – said Falcons owner Arthur Blank. “League revenues are up, club revenues, new stadiums, and the players are the heart of the game. They’re the ones on the field and they certainly deserve their fair share.

Since we drafted him in 2008, he’s been the model face of the franchise, a great leader and he has embraced our values. He has led us on and off the field.” – Blank added.

The extension that Matt Ryan signed on Thursday continues the trend of high salaries for quarterbacks. Recently Minnesota Vikings signed free-agent QB Kirk Cousins to a $28 million annual salary while San Francisco 49ers gave Jimmy Garoppolo $27.5 million.

After playing college football for Boston College, Matt Ryan entered 2008 NFL Draft where Atlanta Falcons took him third overall. He signed a six-year, $72 million contract rookie deal with the organization and became the fourth highest paid quarterback in the league despite not playing a single professional game. Falcons made Ryan their starter and he led them to 11-5 record in his rookie season, passing for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Since then Ryan had led the team to five more postseason appearances, with Super Bowl appearance in 2016 when he also earned the NFL Most Valuable Player award for the regular season.

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