North Gwinnett News

The Atlanta Falcons finished a disappointing season and failed to make it to the playoffs, but quarterback Matt Ryan is looking forward to returning for his 15th season with the team.

"I believe in this team. I think the coaching staff did a great job," Ryan said in a press conference. "I feel fortunate to have been here as long as I have. I'm optimistic. I want to be here. I feel good about this group of guys, the staff, everybody, really, and the direction it's going. I think we're going to make improvements this offseason, continue to grow as a team and be better than we were this year."

The team's feeling is mutual, writer Scott Bair said on the Falcons' website.

"Matt knows how we feel about him, but you're not going to get a hot take from me today to ever back ourselves into a corner," coach Arthur Smith said in a press conference. "I don't care — everything is evaluated every year, and that's the way it goes in the NFL. To make a grand statement right after a game — we're all on the same page."

Ryan's 2021 stats weren't the best they have been, but he found himself playing under more pressure than usual without the availability of the Falcons' full player resources that season, Bair said. However, with an upgrade of the roster in 2022, Ryan could help the team see more victories.

Ryan has two years remaining on his contract, Bair said. He believes the team should be thinking about who will replace him.

"If you go head over heels for a quarterback entering the NFL Draft, go get him," Bair said. "That's a position where you move mountains to get the right guy. If you don't fall in love with one, there's no absolute need to take a quarterback right now."

In the long term, the team will need a new quarterback, Bair said. But as for right now, Bair thinks the Falcons are better served focusing on other shortcomings in their roster.