Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is being patient as his agents and the team iron out the details on his contract extension.
The Falcons stated that retaining the services of Ryan was their No. 1 offseason priority, but the deal has been complicated by a shifting marketplace at the quarterback position.
“I think it’s been good,” Ryan said on Monday. “Obviously, it’s not something that I get heavily involved in. I feel like my job is to get myself prepared to go out and be successful on the field. I kind of let the business side be handled by the people who are competent at that (side of things).”
Ryan said the talks are moving along.
“Everything is good,” Ryan said. “I think the discussions have been very positive. I think those will work out.”
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has said there’s no need to worry about the Ryan negotiations. General manager Thomas Dimitroff said two weeks ago that things could wrap up quickly.
Ryan’s last contract extension was signed right before the start of training camp in 2013. He likely will not want to go into the season with lingering contract situation.
“I think things have been productive up until this point,” Ryan said. “As far as a time frame of anything like that, it will shake out. It will handle itself. I don’t know if it will be today or tomorrow. Or, in a couple of weeks, but I really think we are moving in the right direction.”
Ryan is not sure what’s holding up the process.
“No, this is just how it goes,” Ryan said. “It’s a back and forth process. I’m not too concerned about it.”
The quarterback market has settled during free agency.
The problematic deal for the Falcons was the three-year, $84 million deal that Kirk Cousins signed with Minnesota. All of his money was guaranteed.
Also, Detroit signed Matthew Stafford to a six-year, $135 million deal, with $92 million guaranteed.
Ryan’s extension could go as high as six years and $180 million, which would make him the NFL’s first $30 million per year player.
Ryan signed his original six-year, $72 million deal May 20, 2008 and was an instant hit. A total of $34.75 million of that deal was guaranteed.
He signed his six-year, $103.75 contract extension on July 26, 2013 right before the start of training camp.
“I don’t worry about that stuff too much,” Ryan said of the quarterback landscape. “I feel like when we go out, you take care of your business on the field. You play the way that you’re capable of, everything else tends to fall in place. I’m certainly about winning games and trying to do the best that I can help us do that.”
While guiding the Falcons to the playoffs six times and to one Super Bowl, Ryan has completed 3,630 of 5,593 passes (64.9 percent) for 41,796 yards, 260 touchdowns and 126 interceptions. He has a career passer rating of 93.4. The attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns are all-time franchise records.
Ryan has been incredibly durable, starting all 16 games in nine of 10 seasons. Only a wicked turf-toe injury kept him out of two games in the 2009 season.
Ryan, who was named the league’s MVP after the 2016 season, has rallied the Falcons to victory with 36 game-winning drives and has staged 27 fourth-quarter comebacks .
Ryan, who’s set to turn 33 on May 17, has helped make the Falcons legitimate title contenders after he was drafted with the third pick of the 2008 NFL draft.
Although Ryan has re-written the team’s record book, he’s not worried about his legacy.
“I don’t think about that too much,” Ryan said. “I think sometimes when you get too far ahead of yourself, you start thinking too far down the road and you forget about the things you have to do day-to-day to be successful.
“I’m a big believer in thinking more micro than macro. You have to take care of the challenges and obligations day-to-day because if you do that, take care of the little things, in the long run things take care of themselves. I don’t worry too much about that. I try to focus on what’s important for today.”
Ryan, who’s been by his taking care his wife and newborn twins, has not had time to organized an offseason players-only camp like he has over the past two offseasons.
“The logistics didn’t work out,” Ryan said. “We’ll find the time to get away from Flowery Branch and get a group of guys together to put in some really good work.
“We’ll have an extended period of time after the OTAs, minicamp, before training camp starts to get some of that extra work in. I think that will be productive to us.”
The Falcons report for their offseason program on Monday, but Ryan has already started his work.
“I started to get back to work in early February,” Ryan said. “I was throwing and training and trying to get my body right and in a good position. I have a few things that I’d like to improve on over this offseason.”
He’s been working out with his receivers including tight end Austin Hooper at Pace Academy.
“I’ve been able to get in really good work,” Ryan said. “Luckily, we have so many guys that are here in town during the offseason that have come down toward my neck of the woods to throw and workout. A big thank you to everyone at Pace Academy for letting me come over and workout back there. It’s been good. It’s been a good offseason.”
