Football
Athletic Communications
Former Boston College quarterback walks away ranking top-10 all-time in every major passing category.
ATLANTA — Former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan signed a one-day contract with the Atlanta Falcons to officially retire on Monday afternoon with the National Football League franchise that drafted him with the third overall pick in 2008. Ryan, who captained BC to a No. 2 ranking in 2007, became the highest drafted player in program history a few months later and went on to have a 15-year career in the NFL.
Ryan spent 14 year as the starting quarterback for the Falcons from 2008 to 2021, missing just three starts in his career in Atlanta. He finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. For his career, Ryan went 124-109-1 in 234 starts. His 62,792 passing yards rank seventh all-time, 381 touchdowns ranks ninth and 5,551 passing completions rank fifth.
Ryan earned MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2016; a season that culminated in the Falcon’s second NFC Championship. He was also an All-Pro First Team selection that year with a 117.1 passer rating with a career-high 4,944 passing yards and 38 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Ryan was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and earned Offensive Rookie of the Year, winning 11 games and making the playoffs in his first season with a franchise that had not played in the postseason in four years.
At Boston College, Ryan was a five-year member of the Eagles from 2003-07. He redshirted his true freshman season in 2003 and totaled six starts in 14 appearances in 2004 and 2005 before taking over as the permanent starter at the beginning of the 2006 season. Ryan guided BC to a 10-3 record, the first 10-win season by the Eagles since Doug Flutie and the 1984 team, and a win over Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. A year later, Ryan and BC put together a magical season, peaking at No. 2 in the polls with a comeback win at Virginia Tech to open the season 8-0. The 2007 Eagles won the ACC Atlantic Division and appeared in their first ACC Championship Game. Ryan, who claimed the Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and BC capped the season with a victory over Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl to finish the year 11-3.
The 2007 ACC Player of the Year, Ryan earned All-ACC First Team and AFCA All-America in his final season on the Heights. In 2016, Ryan’s No. 12 jersey was retired at Alumni Stadium. He set the BC single-season record for passing yards at 4,507 in 2007 and ranks third in career yards at 9,313. he also set the single-season touchdown record in 2007 with 31 and is third all-time with 56 for his career. His 12 career 300-yard games are a BC record and his 25 wins rank second.
Ryan is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2028.
