Falcons contract extension ‘means the world’ to Matthew Bergeron

FLOWERY BRANCH — Matthew Bergeron, all 6-foot-5, 315 pounds of him, sat behind a dais in the Falcons’ media room and started to get emotional. His eyes swelled, if only just. His voice carried more weight.

Two days removed from a four-year contract extension that keeps him in Atlanta through 2030, the Falcons’ starting left guard thought about the support he received from his teammates and relished the culture he’s found in Flowery Branch.

“The brotherhood we have — unless you’ve been in a locker room, it’s kind of hard to put into words,” Bergeron said Monday. “There’s a lot of people that come and go, but what we go through on a daily basis, it’s not easy and I feel like it just brings us closer together. I love those guys.

“It goes above football. I’ll do anything for those guys, and I feel like it kind of reflects in the way I play.”

Bergeron has developed a reputation for being the first player to help his tackled teammates from the ground. The Victoriaville, Canada native even did it during Monday’s training camp practice, rushing to lift Tyler Goodson after an inside run in a team period.

The Falcons gave Bergeron another image, though this one more temporary: the NFL’s highest-paid guard.

Bergeron’s contract comes with $60 million guaranteed and is worth up to $96 million. Across four years, his average annual value of $24 million ties him with the Cowboys’ Tyler Smith for the highest-paid guard in the league.

“It means the world to me,” Bergeron said. “Especially just being drafted here and growing here as a player and growing with the team. Atlanta’s become home to not only myself, (but) my family as well.

“Being Canadian and not having that many family (members) in the U.S., to be here and everybody just welcomes you with open arms to southern hospitality and being able to stay in Atlanta — it means the world to me.”

Bergeron, who’s started all 49 games he’s played as a pro, knew the contract was close to being done a few days before he signed Saturday afternoon.

“The process was smooth,” Bergeron said. “There was no hiccups at all. The communication was great. It was professional. Obviously, it’s my first time, but it was done in an awesome way, very professional, and I’m very grateful for that. It made that process so much easier for me.”

Drafted in the second round in 2023, Bergeron was entering the final year of his rookie contract. He watched the team pay receiver Drake London, then take care of tight end Kyle Pitts.

Bergeron wanted to be next.

General manager Ian Cunningham, president of football Matt Ryan and coach Kevin Stefanski made it happen. Now, Bergeron is a key piece to the Falcons’ long-term puzzle.

“To see the attention and detail that Coach Stefanski has and Ian has, and just the vision and the culture they’re trying to bring in here in Atlanta is just awesome,” Bergeron said. “You can see that from the start in OTAs. So, I’m just very, very grateful that I’ll be here with those guys, hopefully for a long time.

“What they’ve been doing has been awesome and I’m fully bought in. I think it’s going to be truly a great turnaround for sure.”

Bergeron, 26, finished last as the 22nd best guard in the NFL with a Pro Football Focus grade of 70.8. He allowed only one sack and seven quarterback hits while committing just three penalties across 912 snaps.

The former Syracuse standout has played 3,146 snaps over the past three years, third-most on the Falcons’ offense behind right guard Chris Lindstrom and left tackle Jake Matthews. Through reps, Bergeron, a college tackle, feels he’s developed into a potent guard — with plenty more room to grow,

“As a player, I think I’ve gotten better year by year, especially in the run game,” Bergeron said. “I still have some work to do in pass protection. But also, off the field, I feel like I’ve matured a lot, especially in the last year. I think I’ve grown in more of a leader role than being a young guy.

“So, just growing as a player, as a leader, I think I’ve made some strides.”

The Falcons agree. Cunningham, in a statement released by the team, said Bergeron is “the type of player you build around.” He’s become a cornerstone, Cunningham said, not only on the offensive line but throughout the organization.

Bergeron is driven to validate the Falcons’ belief.

“My work ethic and the way I carry myself is never going to change,” Bergeron said. “I’m going to hold myself to a high standard, and I’m going to keep working the way I do every day and try to be perfect.”

Bergeron’s first order of business with his enhanced bank account is to take care of his family. Now that he has more financial resources to help, he also wants to be more involved in the Falcons’ community efforts.

But he’ll use some of the money for his own personal gain, too.

A self-proclaimed car guy, Bergeron plans to buy a few muscle cars like the Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 and a 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda. Perhaps in the offseason, he’ll go take in a Formula 1 race, too.

Bergeron’s focus, however, remains on the present. He’s yet to reach the playoffs with the Falcons, and the team’s new leaders are paying him with hopes he’ll help make postseason appearances a more common occurrence.

That mission starts now — and Bergeron feels it’s attainable.