Colts QB Matt Ryan: 'Pretty good chance' he'd still be a Falcon if not for Deshaun Watson
Matt Ryan sensed his time with the Atlanta Falcons had ended.
"I kind of got filled in to the loop that they were going to look into DeShaun Watson," Ryan said on Ryen Russillo's podcast. "At that point, I said, 'I understand.' I also need to look into what I need to look into."
He said he soon found "one spot" that fit — the Indianapolis Colts. Though he wasn't certain the feeling was mutual.
"You never know if that one spot is going to feel the same way about you. For me, fortunately, they did," Ryan said. "For me, it worked out perfectly."
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The transition from Falcons cornerstone to fresh start with the Colts happened over one weekend, he said.
Ryan, Colts general manager Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich had a video meeting on a Saturday night. Ryan talked with his family the following day. The trade came on Monday, March 21.
Watson wound up going to the Cleveland Browns, and the Falcons acquired Marcus Mariota. Atlanta also drafted quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Here's more of what Ryan covered in this conversation:
Matt Ryan 'not bitter' about Atlanta Falcons
Ryan acknowledges that if Atlanta had not entered the Watson sweepstakes, he may still be a Falcon.
"If none of this had gone down, there's a pretty good chance (he wouldn't have sought a trade). But it did," he said. "It's a big change, for sure. But a good one.
"I loved every minute of (being a Falcon). I'm not bitter about how it ended."
Matt Ryan says Colts meeting isn't 'highlight reel'
Ryan said he, Ballard and Reich met for a couple of hours.
"It's wasn't a highlight reel," Ryan said of Ballard's pitch. The QB said the GM and coach identified successes and failures of their tenure.
"I like that sense of self accountability," Ryan said. "That part is what I really liked.'
How Peyton Manning helped Matt Ryan
There are parallels to their careers and they have known each other for years.
Manning played 13 years for the Colts before missing the 2011 season due to injury. He played his final four seasons for the Denver Broncos.
Ryan played 14 seasons in Atlanta.
"He loved living here, loved playing here," Ryan said. "It's a cohesive building. There's not factions in it that are going in different directions. ... They value his opinion on all things football. He certainly had unique insight into things."
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Matt Ryan has missed just 3 games in his career
Ryan, who turns 37 on May 17, has started all 222 of his regular-season appearances.
"My body feels as good as it ever has. I think the rule changes have helped guys like myself," Ryan said. "I've been lucky not to have had any major shoulder, neck or back injuries, which can derail you a little bit. I feel like there's still a lot of football in front of me."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Matt Ryan joins Colts: Quarterback says he's not bitter at Falcons
