The Falcons will see one former player voted into the Hall of Fame as soon as he’s able to. Julio Jones will be a first-ballot entry, but Matt Ryan, who many consider to be the franchise’s greatest player due to his position, has a polarizing resume.
He is the Falcons’ all-time leading passer in attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, passer rating, and 300-yard games. If many consider you the best player in the history of the franchise, Canton should be in the conversation.
The accolades match the stats too. Matt Ryan is a four-time Pro-Bowler and league MVP (2016-17) while also leading the NFL in passer rating (2016) and completion percentage (2012). The Boston College product also has Rookie of the Year (2008) and former Offensive Player of the Year (2016) awards on his mantle.
In terms of all-time quarterbacks, Matt Ryan is among the greatest to ever do it.
According to Pro Football Reference, he ranks 7th all-time in career passing yards (62,792), sits at 5th all-time in passes completed with 5,551, and is 9th all-time in passing touchdowns with a career mark of 381.
He exemplified consistency at the position, throwing for over 4,000 yards in 10 of his 14 seasons in Atlanta, as well as an NFL record 64 straight games with at least 200 yards passing.
If you ask the average NFL fan, you’ll get polar opposite answers. If you ask Falcons fans, Matt Ryan is a Hall of Famer. If you ask the man himself…
I asked Matt Ryan if he should be a Hall of Famer: "I do. … The numbers speak for themselves. The consistency speaks for itself. I hope it's something that happens one day."
Full interview coming on @The33rdTeamFB.pic.twitter.com/6613zJnhj0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 8, 2024
He certainly won’t be a first-ballot Hall of Famer like his former teammate in Julio Jones, but he has a chance. A lot of people consider him in the Hall of Very Good because of the era in which he played and the lack of success in the postseason.
To me, I wouldn’t have an issue with it going either way because he only earned All-Pro honors once. Ken Anderson had a very comparable career and isn’t in the Hall of Fame after 32 years.
Both appeared in a Super Bowl, had four Pro Bowls, were league MVPs and Offensive Player of the Years, and led the league in passer rating (Anderson did so four times), completion percentage (Anderson did three times), and yards (Anderson did it twice).
His all-time stats suggest he is a Hall of Famer and he had Hall of Fame moments. I understand the argument and do hope he gets in eventually, but it may not be a reality.
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