Matt Ryan ‘very interested’ in broadcast career if he doesn’t play 2023 NFL season
Matt Ryan’s tenure with the Colts ends in the 2023 NFL offseason after just one year in Indianapolis.
The question will now be how the 37-year-old quarterback will continue.
Ryan won the 2016 MVP award and was once one of the NFL’s better QBs. In 2022, however, he wasn’t looking good. He posted one of the worst seasons of his career, recording 13 interceptions, suffering 38 sacks and fumbling 15 times in 12 starts. He was twice benched by two different coaches because of his deficiencies.
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As such, Ryan might be considering retirement, especially if he can’t find a solid backup job anywhere. And reports suggest he could be the next big-name quarterback to consider a move to the broadcast booth.
The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reports that Ryan is “very interested” in pursuing a broadcasting career once he retires from the NFL.
It’s not clear exactly when that would be as Ryan “could still play next season,” Marchand said. But anyway, it looks like he picked his preferred career choice after playing.
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Of course, Ryan isn’t guaranteed to get into a broadcast booth. There are a lot of competition for roles in the booth now that networks are willing to pay nine-figure contracts for high-end analysts. And it’s unlikely Ryan would fall into the same camp as Tony Romo or Tom Brady, given their high-profile personalities and Romo’s early success on the mic.
Still, Ryan has the profile and high IQ needed to be a good broadcaster. When Sporting News’ Joe Rivera ranked all of the proposed NFL starting quarterbacks based on how they would fare in the dressing room last offseason, Ryan cracked the B-Team tier. So the potential is there.
That’s why Ryan might get an opportunity to prove himself. It can only be on a sub-show with CBS or Fox. He could also become a studio analyst if a color analyst position is not available.
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Either way, it’ll be interesting to see where Ryan ends up, whether he goes into the booth or goes back onto the field for a 16th season. The Colts are likely hoping for the latter, as it would guarantee some of the $12 million in guarantees Indianapolis owes it in guaranteed money.