Matt Ryan may not play in Week 8 due to ankle sprain
The Atlanta Falcons got both good news and bad news on quarterback Matt Ryan. The good news: Ryan is only dealing with an ankle sprain. The bad news: The Falcons have no clue when Ryan will get back on the field.
[Watch live NFL games on the Yahoo Sports app, here's how]
Head coach Dan Quinn left Ryan’s Week 8 status up in the air, saying the team will prepare for both scenarios.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn on Matt Ryan, "He does have a sprained ankle. We'll be preparing for both [him playing or not]...If he can't, that's the reason Matt Schaub is here."
Ryan won't practice at the start of the week, but it is TBD for later in the week.— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 21, 2019
That leaves the possibility of Ryan playing in the team’s Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks. That would be an impressive turnaround considering Ryan had to leave Sunday’s game due to the issue.. At the same time, Ryan has been a model of health, starting 151 straight games. He’s likely played through a number of injuries throughout his career.
And yet, Falcons fans shouldn’t get their hopes up yet. Quinn also expressed some uncertainty over Ryan’s timetable.
#Falcons QB Matt Ryan has a sprained ankle, coach Dan Quinn says. Notes there are different degrees of sprains. "Hopefully it's not a long-term thing and more a shorter-term thing."
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 21, 2019
If Ryan is unable to go, the team would turn to 38-year-old Matt Schaub in Ryan’s absence. Schaub completed all 6 of his pass attempts during Sunday’s game, throwing a touchdown in garbage time. Schaub hasn’t started a game in the NFL since 2015.
The team will have to hope Ryan can recover quickly. While Schaub has put up some strong statistical seasons in the past, he’s thrown 14 touchdowns against 20 interceptions since 2013.
———
Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
More from Yahoo Sports:
