Matt Ryan Rumors: Falcons to 'Make QB Feel Wanted' After Failed Deshaun Watson Trade

The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly hoping to keep veteran quarterback Matt Ryan in the fold following their failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Falcons plan on making Ryan "feel wanted" while he weighs his options.

The Falcons were believed to be one of two finalists to acquire Watson from the Houston Texans along with the New Orleans Saints, but per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Watson did an about-face and decided to approve a trade to the Cleveland Browns despite previously ruling Cleveland out.

Ryan, 36, has spent his entire 14-year NFL career in Atlanta after going third overall to the Falcons in the 2008 NFL draft.

During that time, he has firmly established himself as the greatest quarterback in franchise history, earning four Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro selection, one NFL MVP award and one Super Bowl appearance.  

In 222 career regular-season games, all of which were starts, Ryan has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 59,735 yards, 367 touchdowns and 170 interceptions. That puts Matty Ice eighth on the NFL's all-time passing yardage list and ninth on the passing touchdown list.

While Ryan was once in the conversation for being an elite quarterback, particularly when he won MVP in 2016, that is no longer the case.

Since winning MVP, Ryan has reached the 30-touchdown mark just once in five seasons, and he has thrown double-digit interceptions in four of the past five campaigns.

Additionally, the Falcons have finished with a losing record and missed the playoffs in each of the past four campaigns.

Last season, Ryan completed 67.0 percent of his attempts for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 picks for a 7-10 Falcons squad.

His passing yardage was his lowest total since 2010. His 20 passing touchdowns were his fewest since 2017, when he threw the same number, and his rookie year in 2008, when he threw 16.

Given his waning skills, age and the fact that he is under contract for only two more seasons, it is understandable why the Falcons kicked the tires on Watson.

Now that Watson is out of the equation, the other options on the trade and free-agent market are less than appealing.

Some of the quarterbacks who could be had include Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

Assuming the team isn't interested in any of them, getting Ryan to stay and then selecting a rookie quarterback early in the 2022 NFL draft may be Atlanta's best course of action.

While the 2022 class isn't considered a strong one for quarterbacks, Liberty's Malik Willis, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss' Matt Corral, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and North Carolina's Sam Howell are just a few who could benefit from sitting behind and learning from Ryan for a year or two.