Arthur Smith wants Matt Ryan as his QB in 2022

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan still has two years left on his contract, but speculation that the team could move on from the 14-year veteran has been rampant as of late.

It’s not that Ryan has been bad this season, but due to the team constantly restructuring his deal, the former MVP’s 2022 salary cap hit is north of $48 million. Considering how far Atlanta appears to be from a return to the Super Bowl, many have assumed the team would consider moving Ryan during the offseason.

Not so fast, my friends. According to ESPN’s original NFL insider, Chris Mortensen, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith “has made it clear” that he wants Ryan back in 2022.

The 2022 quarterback class isn’t nearly as heavy at the top as last year’s, so it’s not like the Falcons are going to have a can’t-miss prospect in their hands on draft day. At 7-9, the team fared better than most predicted, and Atlanta was in the mix for a playoff spot up until last week’s loss to the Bills.

Ryan has thrown for 3,752 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 91.2. With 248 yards in Sunday’s finale against the New Orleans Saints, Ryan will have surpassed 4,000 passing yards for an 11th consecutive season — the second-most ever behind Drew Brees.

The Falcons close the season out at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET, but it likely won’t be the last we see of Ryan in Atlanta.

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