Shocking news: A crucial player who agreed to sign a five-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons is confirmed dead.
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan are close to signing a five-year deal extension worth more than $100 million.
Mortensen claims that the agreement is worth $103.75 million, with $59 million in guaranteed funds. Over the course of the first three seasons, Ryan will get $63 million.
Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft out of Boston College, is set to earn $10 million in base salary in 2013, the sixth and final season of a rookie contract that includes $34.75 million in guaranteed money and had a maximum value of $72 million. If Ryan had completed the 2013 season without signing his new contract, he would have made $67.5 million, or 93.75% of what his six-year rookie contract could have been worth.
During his first five seasons in the NFL, Ryan has started 77 of the 78 regular season games. He has completed 62.7 percent of his ball attempts for 18,957 yards with 127 touchdowns and 60 interceptions. Ryan is coming off a season in which he set a career-high with 32 touchdowns and led the NFL in completion percentage (68.6). Ryan has been selected to two Pro Bowls (2010, 2012).
Ryan also managed to get the playoff monkey off his back during the 2012 campaign. Before throwing for 646 yards and six touchdowns in two playoff games last season, including 250 yards and three touchdowns in a thrilling 30-28 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs round, Ryan had unimpressive performances in his previous three playoff games, all of which were Falcons defeats.
To put his contract in perspective, consider that the 2013 extensions signed by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ($22 million per year) and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco ($20.1 million) averaged $20.75 million per year in “new money” and $21 million per year for the first three seasons. Ryan’s $59 million in guarantees is more than Peyton Manning’s $58 million from the Denver Broncos in March of last year, but it is less than Drew Brees’ $60.5 million from the New Orleans Saints in July.
