If there is an elephant in the locker room of the Atlanta Falcons, it is the pending contract extension for quarterback Matt Ryan. Multiple quarterbacks have received record breaking extensions this offseason and Ryan is next in line to get his pay raise. The Falcons have set a goal to get a new contract in place before the season begins. While the negotiations have stalled, general manager Thomas Dimitroff is confident everything will get worked out.
Dimitroff appeared with Ryan on Sirius XM radio where he discussed the overall status of the pending contract.
"Right now there's nothing new on the contract. Understand that he will be here. We will get this done and we would prefer to have this done sooner than later," Dimitroff said.
It is clear that things will get done, it just a matter of when. The team took time during the start of free agency to clear big contracts off the books, including veteran players John Abraham and Michael Turner. Ryan's contract took a backseat while the team handled things regarding the NFL Draft. Now that April is over and done with, the negotiations have jumped back into the spotlight.
Ryan himself is not concerned with the status of the contract, confident that a decision will be made that works for both he and the team.
"I want to be here, I know that for sure. I think things will take care of themselves, and right now, it's not something I'm too worried about," Ryan said.
Ryan is only concerning himself with things that he can control and that is the upcoming season. Ryan is focused on working with receivers and making sure they improve on the field. A better performance on the field equals to more money in the contract, something other quarterbacks can attest to.
Joe Flacco had to play out the final year of his contract before getting handed his inflated new deal. After getting a Super Bowl victory under his belt, Flacco earned a six-year, $120 million deal with the Ravens. Now, Ryan only has one playoff victory to his name so naturally he will not garner a contract that size. However, the Falcons are prepared to pay him big money and intend on getting him that pay raise sooner rather than later.
Click here to listen to the full interview between Dimitroff and Ryan.
