Statistically Matt Ryan had an average year by his standards. His 93.3 rating was on par with his 94.5 career average, but it was well off the 108.1 he posted in 2018 and 117.1 of his 2016 MVP campaign.
NFL.com analysts Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr compiled the quarterback rankings from the 2020 season using statistical and subjective observation and placed Ryan 14th of 59 quarterbacks who started a game in 2020.
Blair had this to say of Ryan
“Anyone antsy for the Falcons to move on from Ryan should wait to see if he and new head coach Arthur Smith can make Rodgers-LaFleur-like magic in 2021,” wrote Blair. ” Ryan was much better than Atlanta’s record (or the handful of subpar outings he produced) suggests, mostly living up to his customary statistical standards, but even if he takes a serious step back as a 36-year-old QB, he projects as, at worst, a high-end veteran who can keep the Falcons competitive while they formulate plans for the post-Ryan era.”
The group from NFL.com included playoff as well as regular season performances and ranked Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes first, second, and third respectively.
NFL.com Ranks 59 2020 Starting QBs
There has been a lot of talk about the Falcons taking a quarterback with the No. 4 pick in next month’s NFL Draft. A mock draft from NFL.com earlier this week had the Falcons taking Justin Fields from Ohio State. Taking a quarterback would signal the Falcons aren’t necessarily in a win now mentality, but Ryan is certainly better than last season’s 4-12 record might indicate.
The draft in April might show us how close new general manager Terry Fontenot thinks the Falcons are to competing in the playoffs again. Ryan’s salary cap number means he’s going to be with the Falcons in 2021. Taking a quarterback could show the Falcons are ready to rebuild, not try to reload.
