QB Matt Ryan, Who Had a $50 Million Cap, To Take Hit As Falcons Free Up Cap Space

Humongous quarterback trades have been the buzz of the league in past days, as Russell Wilson and Carson Wentz are being traded before hitting free agency in 2022. However, Atlanta Falcons are fiddling with Matt Ryan and his bloated contract. And it looks like the veteran quarterback is determined to stay for a longer period with the team.

Matt Ryan has been a constant with the Atlanta Falcons, providing reliability at the QB spot throughout his career. With his contract restructure, the Falcons create significant salary cap room just days before the league’s allowed tampering period starts on Monday.

What trades or negotiations can the team make after freeing up millions in salary cap space?

Matt Ryan Contract Restructure: Full Details

According to Ian Rapoport and Over the Cap, Matt Ryan has a $48,662,500 cap hit in 2022. In 2022, he’ll be earning $23.75 million, with a base salary of $16,250,000 and a roster bonus of $7,500,000.

Before the restructure, Falcons held $4,200,017 in cap space. According to Over the Cap, the Ryan trade offers the Falcons $16.2 million in cap space, which would place them 16th in the NFL. Ryan has a two-year contract extension. Moreover, in the year 2023, he’ll be earning $28 million ($20.5 million salary, $7.5 million bonus).

Ryan completed 67 percent of his passes last season, having 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 3,968 yards, and 7.1 yards per attempt. This also includes 6 postseason visits, 3 NFC South titles, a 2016 NFC Championship, missing out in just 3 games.

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Quarterback Matt Ryan is a former league MVP, which earned him a brand new contract in 2018. He eventually agreed to a five-year, $150 million deal with a $100 million guarantee. Ryan would have a cap hit of $48,662,500 in 2022, being the largest cap hit for any player in NFL history.

The Falcons’ strategy for 2022

The Atlanta Falcons have been working to create more cap space. They’ve started with the release of outside linebacker Dante Fowler and offensive tackle-guard Matt Gono.

After all the free-agent bombshell deals are done, the Falcons will focus on re-signing their players and then doing some discount hunting. Running back Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver Russell Gage, punter Thomas Morstead, and Pro Bowl long snapper Josh Harris is among the franchise’s best free agents.

Even though the Falcons are not in a condition to sign all free agents, they can benefit from some and focus on building their team properly. Like Matt Ryan’s contract, more restructures can be on the way. They need to be careful with any further negotiations as well.

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