New Orleans Saints star defensive lineman Cameron Jordan has always made his feelings clear about the Atlanta Falcons and longtime franchise quarterback Matt Ryan. There isn’t a quarterback he’s enjoyed defeating more than Ryan, and Jordan has always embraced the Saints-Falcons rivalry. So it’s no surprise that Jordan wasted no time in sharing how he feels about Ryan leaving the division through a trade with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason.
“He left me. I’m not even the girlfriend, I’m like the side piece,” Jordan bemoaned to the Baton Rouge Advocate. “He left. He didn’t text me. He changed his whole address.” The Falcons burnt their bridge with Ryan in their pursuit of troubled quarterback Deshaun Watson, prompting their franchise leader in passing yards to force his way out through a trade to the Colts.
“It was just rude,” Jordan added, still stinging from Ryan’s abrupt departure.
Ryan probably is not rushing to reach out to Jordan, for good reason. There is not a defensive lineman who has sacked the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback more than Jordan, who has brought Ryan down an absurd 23 times. That’s an NFL record for the most sacks by one defender against a single opposing quarterback.
While Jordan will not see Ryan again this season, should the quarterback stick around in Indianapolis, the Saints will visit the Colts in 2023. And there’s an outside chance Jordan could set a new Saints franchise record for career sacks in that game — he enters the 2022 season trailing Pro Football Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson by just 8 sacks, having totaled 12.5 takedowns in 2021. Hopefully Jordan can go the distance in 2022, but wouldn’t it make for a better story if he’s able to pursue Ryan to Indianapolis a year later and end their rivalry with the record-breaking sack, wouldn’t it?
For now, Jordan will have to find a new favorite target in the NFC South. Between Tom Brady, Sam Darnold, and Marcus Mariota there are some solid options. It’s pretty clear who the new Ryan should be in Jordan’s crosshairs, for this season, however. He sacked Brady three times in two games last year and is poised for more heavyweight bouts with standout Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs.
