Falcons GM says the top offseason priority is an extension for Matt Ryan
Ryan seems likely to become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL
By
Jared Dubin
•
1 min read
The Atlanta Falcons' 2017 season came to a disappointing end last week with a 15-10 loss to the Eagles. Atlanta went to the Super Bowl last year behind one of the best offenses in NFL history, but throughout this season and in their playoff loss, the offense failed to recapture the same magic it did a year ago.
Still, the leader of that offense -- quarterback Matt Ryan -- is one of the NFL's best passers and has been a considerably above-average player for a while now. So it should perhaps come as no surprise that Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff stated on Thursday that the focus of the team's offseason will be getting Ryan locked in on a long-term contract extension.
Thomas Dimitroff says the main focus this offseason will be on getting Matt Ryan’s next contract done. Taking care of QB1. #Falcons
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey) January 18, 2018
Ryan is headed into the final season of the five-year, $103 million extension he signed to cover the 2014 through 2018 seasons. His $21.5 million cap hit is set to be the 10th-largest at the position in 2018, according to Spotrac.
It seems likely, given his performance both in his career to-date and in recent seasons, that Ryan will sign a new deal that makes him one of the handful of highest-paid players in the league -- if not the highest-paid player overall. For what it's worth, these are the five largest current quarterback contracts in the NFL:
| Player | Years | Total $ | AAV | Gtd $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford | 5 | $135,000,000 | $27,000,000 | $92,000,000 |
| Derek Carr | 5 | $125,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $70,200,000 |
| Andrew Luck | 5 | $122,970,000 | $24,594,000 | $87,000,000 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 5 | $110,000,000 | $22,000,000 | $54,000,000 |
| Cam Newton | 5 | $103,800,000 | $20,760,000 | $60,000,000 |
It would be reasonably to expect Ryan's contract to fall somewhere in that range, given the way contract negotiations tend to happen in the NFL. The Falcons have several large long-term commitments on their roster (Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Devonta Freeman, Alex Mack, Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford), but their status as a contender is dependent on Ryan being at the controls of the offense, so he's going to get paid, and paid big.
