The past two weeks have been a roller coaster for Atlanta Falcons fans. First, it was the team’s aggressive pursuit of quarterback Deshaun Watson that caught the NFL world by surprise.
Then, just when it seemed like a Watson trade was a done deal, it fell apart and had the Falcons scrambling to repair their relationship with Matt Ryan. But the damage was done, and when Ryan had a choice between returning to Atlanta or going to Indianapolis, the former MVP opted for a fresh start.
That’s what Ryan said during his introductory press conference with the Colts on Tuesday.
Colts QB Matt Ryan said at first he didn't know if staying in Atlanta was an option because of the Watson situation & if there would have to be a trade.
But the way it shook out, it was a decision between staying in Atlanta or going to Indianapolis.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) March 22, 2022
At first, Ryan didn’t know if he was going to have any say in his future when the Watson negotiations were taking place. Once Watson was dealt to Cleveland, he met with the Colts’ brass and ultimately decided it was time to move on.
The last two teams that won the Super Bowl — Tampa Bay and Los Angeles — did so after trading for veteran quarterbacks. Ryan hopes to follow in the footsteps of Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford and lead the Colts to a championship in the near future.
“I hope that we can ride that trend that’s been going on and make it work for us.”
Matt Ryan on Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford finding new teams and winning Super Bowls. pic.twitter.com/MVXKL09WL1
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 22, 2022
