10 August 2023 , 15:11
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Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan did not end his NFL career as planned but has still not ruled out the possibility of a return.
Ryan announced he would join the NFL on CBS family as an analyst in May. However, he noted that his acceptance of the new role would not determine if he would continue playing in the NFL.
Last Monday, Ryan addressed the post in an interview with The Athletic. He firmly believed that the decision to become an analyst did not indicate retirement.
"I'm staying in shape. I think it is kind of, 'You know my number. You know where I am at.' If anything were to come up, you know, we'll see," Ryan said. "[CBS] is where my focus is at right now. But we will see how the season shakes out."
While Ryan seemed interested in returning to football, his comments regarding his experience with the Colts indicate that he would search elsewhere. The former NFL QB did not get into much detail but described the experience as a way to come back stronger.
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"I mean, it was a s*** show, you know," said Ryan. "It was a s*** show of 18 months, basically is the best way to describe it. But I think everybody in our family handled it well and came out of it stronger and in a really good spot."
Without mentioning specifics, it is hard to determine if Ryan's feelings are towards the way the Colts operate as an organisation or towards an underwhelming season.
Matt Ryan #2 of the Indianapolis Colts passes the ballLast year, the Colts finished with a 4-12 record, finishing third in the AFC South. After an underwhelming 2-5-1 start, the organisation fired Head Coach Frank Reich, replaced by former Colts offensive lineman Jeff Saturday.
Saturday would win his first game against the Raiders 20-25. Ryan had an exceptional game, completing 21 out of 28 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown, and 0 interceptions. However, the team went winless for the rest of the season, missing the postseason for a second consecutive year.
Ryan started 12 games for the Colts in 2022. He completed 309 passes for 3,057 yards, with 14 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and an 83.9 passer rating. The organisation then released him at the end of the season.
"The biggest thing that I took away from that situation is I wasn't going to let one bad week ruin 14 years of awesome, of really positive, great experiences," Ryan said.
"You also come to realise the business side of it. I understand that there are difficult decisions that need to be made, and there's a right or wrong way to do those kinds of things. Would I have liked some of it to be different? Yeah, but it wasn't handled badly. It was just a situation that was difficult for all parties involved."