Report: Falcons' Ryan won't need shoulder surgery
A blown lead and a loss in the NFC Championship Game might wind up hurting Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan more than the shoulder injury he incurred Sunday.
Ryan played through a sprained left shoulder in the second half of Atlanta's 28-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but ESPN.com reported that he won't need surgery.
According to the report, Ryan popped the shoulder back into place, and an MRI might not be necessary.
Ryan wound up completing 30 of 42 passes for 396 yards, a franchise-record yardage total for a playoff game. He threw three touchdown passes and was intercepted once.
Earlier Sunday, Fox Sports reported that Ryan and the Falcons have begun talks about a contract extension.
According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, that deal will take on the look of a "mega-contract."
The 2013 season will be the final year of Ryan's six-year deal worth $66 million. Ryan is scheduled to be paid $10 million next season, but, according to the report, the Falcons may want to discard the final year of that deal and reward Ryan with a new contract.
Ryan, 27, finished with a 93.8 passer rating this year, the fifth-best mark in the NFL. He completed 68.6 percent of his passes, throwing for 4,719 yards with 32 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
