It’s been a grueling, but steady, climb for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
In the wake of his five-year, $103.75 million contract extension and the release of several key veterans, Ryan clearly is the unquestioned leader of the team for the foreseeable future.
Ryan ascended to the role and won his teammates’ respect with the gutty toughness he show while battling through his second season in the NFL and by leading them to the playoffs in four of five seasons.
“Matt is the type of leader you want to have on your team,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “I say it all the time, you win in the locker room first, and you’ve got to have guys like Matt Ryan that have the drive and the passion to be the best that they can be. That is probably the best trait that Matt has.”
Longtime center Todd McClure, who taught Ryan some of the nuances of the pro game, retired after last season.
Running back Michael Turner, around whom the offense was built to shield Ryan during his early seasons, was released.
John Abraham, the elder statesman of the defense, also was released.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez, 37, who’s set to enter his 17th season in the NFL, is the most senior member on the team, but he defers to Ryan to show the way for the team.
“It’s just the beginning for him,” Gonzalez said. “What you saw out there last year, he’s going to keep building on it, and I anticipate him getting even better now that the deal is done and it’s out of his mind.”
As rookie, Ryan didn’t come in and make waves, although he was starting. He deferred to veterans such as McClure and Abraham while learning his position at the professional level.
“It takes time (to become a leader),” Ryan said. “I think Year 3 into Year 4, those two years. My first year, as a quarterback it’s different from a lot of other positions. Your first year, you are just keeping your head above water and doing the best you can.”
Ryan started to earn the respect of his teammates in the sixth game of his first season when he pulled out a victory over the Chicago Bears in the final 11 seconds.
Things continued to move along just fine until he suffered a major setback in his second season. He missed two games with a gruesome turf-toe injury. He came back and played out the season with a protective steel-toe shoe.
That was his toughest season, as the Falcons finished 9-7 and did not make the playoffs.
“In your second year, you think you know what you are doing, and then you get knocked around a little bit, and you find out you don’t really know what you are doing quite yet,” Ryan said. “I think some of those lumps I took my second year really helped me going into my third year.”
In Year 3, Ryan led the Falcons to a 13-3 record, the NFC South title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
“I felt like I started to have a better command in my third year,” Ryan said. “But I feel like each year has helped me get better and better. Year 4, I was better than Year 3, and Year 5 I was much better than Year 4. Hopefully that progression continues.”
Falcons owner Arthur Blank was sold on Ryan after more than 10 team officials had dinner with him in Boston before the 2008 draft.
“There were an awful lot of us, and Matt was there by himself,” Blank said. “Very young man, senior at Boston College, and yet he took all the questions and took us all on beautifully with poise and intelligence. … For the last five years we’ve seen that play out on the field, both on the field and off the field.”
The Falcons were absolutely giddy to get the extension completed before Ryan entered the final year of his original six-year contract.
“We hope he will not only be our quarterback for the next five years, but for the next 10 or 15 years,” Blank said.
It’s not likely that Ryan, 28, will still be throwing the ball around in the NFL at age 43.
Ryan is widely respected by his teammates.
“Matt Ryan, they call him Matty Ice for a reason,” wide receiver Julio Jones said. “He doesn’t get frustrated. We never look at the scoreboard until it says ‘zero-zero.’ We always feel like we have a chance.”
Wide receiver Harry Douglas, who’s proud to say he was in Ryan’s draft class, has watched him blossom as leader.
“He always had control over the huddle and the play when he’s out there, but he’s doing it even more now,” Douglas said. “He’s letting the coach know what he thinks and what he sees. That’s what you see the guys like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton (Manning) and Aaron Rodgers do, and they have become successful. I think Matt Ryan is on his way.”
