Matt Ryan stormed into the league in 2008 and led the Falcons to an 11-5 record. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award for his efforts and it was the start of a great career.
Ryan is a three-time Pro Bowler and won the MVP award in the 2016 season. He spent 14 years in Atlanta before being traded to Indianapolis in March.
The former Falcons quarterback has most of Atlanta’s franchise records and is seventh all-time in NFL history with 62,792 passing yards. Ryan has earned plenty of accolades throughout his career, but is he a Hall of Famer?
Carl Dukes and Jason La Canfora of the Audacy Original Podcast “In The Huddle” debated whether or not Ryan is a Hall of Fame quarterback.
“I’ve always thought Matt Ryan was a Hall of Famer,” Dukes said (6:03 in player above). “He’s top 10 in passing yards. He’s a former MVP. He did lead his team to the Super Bowl. He’s the franchise leader for the Atlanta Falcons in every category.
“But I got to tell you something, these are two monster spots that the world was watching,” Dukes continued. “A Super Bowl in which you lose – which wasn’t his fault – and a game where you only come back and score three points in the second half – again, wasn’t his fault, but he’s associated with it. I’ve been saying this weekend I don’t know if he makes the Hall of Fame. This is a monster scar on the resume.”
Ryan will always be remembered as the quarterback of the team that blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl to Tom Brady and the Patriots. However, the success he’s had over the course of his career may overshadow that when it comes to the Hall of Fame.
But La Canfora has already made up his mind on Ryan.
“Well look, Eli Manning’s not a Hall of Famer for me so there’s no way Matt Ryan is for me,” La Canfora said. “Maybe my standard’s too high, but with the way this game has changed, the rules, and everything else the last 15 years, I think you’re on a slippery slope if Matt Ryan – if Matt Ryan’s in, then Matt Stafford’s definitely in, and guess what, Kirk Cousins is probably in too because Kirk Cousins is going to compile more than those other guys.”
La Canfora expanded on why Manning isn’t a Hall of Famer, mentioning that he and Ryan both seemed to have held on for a little too long.
Nevertheless, it’s going to be an interesting conversation when the second-tier quarterbacks of this era start becoming eligible for the Hall of Fame. There are a few obvious first-ballot guys, but then there is a group of Elis, Matt Ryans, and others that may be on the fence.
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