The writing is on the wall. After one of the worst seasons of his career, the Indianapolis Colts will probably soon release 37-year-old Matt Ryan before the start of free agency. And, by early accounts, it doesn’t seem like he’s intent on playing much longer.
But that doesn’t mean the former Atlanta Falcon great is done with pro football.
According to a report from the New York Post, Ryan wants to potentially use the chops and knowledge he’s gained from 15 years of NFL quarterbacking to get into broadcasting. Given how many former quarterbacks were part of broadcast teams last season — such as Troy Aikman, Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez, and Dan Orlovsky — it probably won’t be hard for Ryan to find a place with a network. (Even if Tom Brady will also be joining the fray soon enough.)
The question is: How good will Ryan be?
I have little doubt Ryan will put his best foot forward and meticulously prepare at the start if (or when) he gets a broadcasting job as a color commentator. But given how announcers like Romo have fallen from grace lately because they seemingly put in less effort (with reported compensation of roughly $17 million), I think it’s fair to worry whether Ryan would eventually fall into a similar trap. At the very least, he probably wouldn’t be confronted on the street by random people.
Should that be in his future, Ryan will probably be quite adept at offering valuable and entertaining insight during games. I just hope it lasts.