The Falcons might not know when quarterback Matt Ryan will play in the pocket, but Ryan knows what the Falcons will put in his pocket.

The No. 3 overall selection from Boston College signed a six-year, $72 million contract Tuesday with $34.75 million guaranteed, putting him in rare financial air that few rookies in NFL history have ever breathed.

"Obviously it's a very big contact, and I'm excited about that," Ryan, 23, said. "There's a lot of work, and I need to go earn everything that's been set out, and that's what I'm going to try and do now."

The speed at which Ryan and the Falcons came to terms was unusual, and it could signal a push to get him on the field early, if not by the season opener against Detroit on Sept. 7. Most high draft picks are not signed until late in the summer, near the outset of team training camps.

Ryan joins Michigan's Jake Long, selected first overall by Miami and signed to a five-year, $57.3 million contract, as the top draft picks under contract thus far.

Having Ryan signed and at training camp on time was a goal established when it was determined the Falcons would draft Ryan with their first pick on April 26. Team president Rich McKay said he reached out to Ryan's agents to initiate contract talks shortly after the Falcons chose Ryan to be their new franchise quarterback.

"In my mind, I thought it was not only the right message for the franchise but the right thing to do so he doesn't at all fall behind where he has one of those rookie years where he never catches up," said McKay, who, along with director of football operations Nick Polk, negotiated the deal for the Falcons.

Though the signing of Ryan further moves the Falcons away from imprisoned quarterback Michael Vick, the hefty salary the Falcons awarded Ryan and the continued referencing of him by team officials as a "franchise quarterback," conjured some comparison.

"The circumstances are always different when it comes to any player, and in Matt's case, the research that [general manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] did and coach [Mike] Smith did and the staff, they were extremely comfortable in Matt and what Matt stood for and what Matt was going to be in the long term," said McKay, who, along with team owner Arthur Blank, signed Vick to a 10-year, $130 million contract extension after the 2004 season. "I don't think there was any hesitancy because of the experience we just had."

Though Ryan signed his contract Tuesday afternoon, it was announced before dozens of sponsors, potential suite holders and team partners at a pre-set gala at Blank's Buckhead office. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in town for NFL owners meetings that concluded earlier in the day, also was on hand in somewhat of an ironic twist.

Hours before Ryan's lavish contract was celebrated, Goodell and all 32 NFL owners, including Blank, opted out of their collective bargaining agreement with the players' union because they said the labor pact wasn't economically ideal.

Technicalities aside, Ryan and the Falcons are glad the deal is done.

"Getting the No. 3 pick taken care of early in the process, in May, sets the tone," Dimitroff said. "It shows that we are being aggressive. Not only were we aggressive in the draft, but we also feel we're aggressive getting our players signed, getting this team together and getting them focused to move forward."

Dimitroff said there have been contract talks with the 10 other draft picks and that they all should be signed well before training camp.

IT'S GOOD TO BE NO. 3

Here's a look at the contracts of the last three No. 3 overall selections in the NFL draft.

Year Player Years Guaranteed

2008 Matt Ryan 6 $34.75 million

2007 Joe Thomas 5 $23 million

2006 Vince Young 5 $25.7 million