Matt Ryan is set to enter his 15th season in the NFL, and while he will move up the all-time passing yardage ranks, it will also come at a huge price. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback will soon set a league record based on the salary of his current contract.
Ryan is set to have a cap number of $48,662,500, the largest salary cap hit for a player in NFL history (per ESPN’s Field Yates).
His cap number is the fourth year of the five-year, $150 million contract extension he signed in 2018. Ryan has two years left of his deal, having a cap number of $48,662,500 this year and $43,612,500 next season.
The Falcons could release Ryan and save $8,137,500 in salary cap space this year. If the Falcons waited until after the 2022 season to move on from Ryan, the franchise would save $28 million in cap space.
Ryan has thrown for 59,735 passing yards in his career, and needs 4,354 yards to surpass Ben Roethlisberger for fifth in NFL history, which he could reach during the 2022 season. However, he is coming off the fewest passing yards he’s had in a season (3,968) since 2010 and fewest passing touchdowns (20) since his rookie season in 2008.
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