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Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank acknowledged that it's time for the Falcons to think about finding a Matt Ryan successor. Ryan, 36, has played his entire career with the Falcons. Ryan is past his prime but he is still able to play at a good level and help the Falcons win football games.
Ryan completed 67% of his passes this season for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Also, Ryan has missed only one game since the 2010 season. "But at some point, let's make this clear. At some point, we do need to understand that Father Time does get us all and at some point we have to make a clear succession plan for the next quarterback," Blank said, per ESPN.
"Teams in the league that have done that successfully really are in a good position. The ones that haven't are the ones that struggle for a number of years as they flip in and out of quarterbacks that are not really the ultimate answer."
Ryan in a good place
"I feel good about it.
I really do," Ryan said. "I feel like I am in a good space and our team is in a good space and we can improve and be better as we move forward." Falcons owner Blank said Ryan knows the Falcons have to think about their future and to plan for a Ryan-less future.
"We have to be thoughtful about that. And Matt understands that. Matt's a grown man. He's smart," Blank said. "He understands that he can't play forever and that we have a responsibility to our fans, to the franchise, to have a succession plan for every position, it's not just quarterback.
"Every position, as we think about it. Some of the questions you're asking about Calvin Ridley are fair because we have to make sure we have a receiver room that's very competitive."