Matt Ryan Joins NFL on CBS, But Isn’t Retiring Just Yet

On Monday morning, former Boston College QB Matt Ryan announced that he will be joining the CBS team for NFL coverage this upcoming season, but made it clear that he is not retiring from football just yet.

Ryan is coming off of a rough year with the Indianapolis Colts after he was traded there from the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He started just 12 games last year in Indianapolis and was benched twice for two separate QBs midseason. Colts rookie Sam Ehlinger took over at QB1 for Indy in weeks 8 & 9, Matty Ice won the starting job back for another 5 weeks, and then he was benched again for the final three games of the season, this time for Nick Foles. Ryan was hurt a few times during those stretches, but head coach Frank Reich made it clear that those injuries didn’t play a part in the decisions to bench Matty Ice. Ryan was then cut from the team in March.

Matt Ryan’s path forward as an NFL player remains unclear, but it’s obvious that he wants to continue playing. His most obvious path would have him hold out until a team loses their starting QB to injury and needs to fill that hole with a seasoned veteran like Ryan. There aren’t any teams out there who want to start their season with him at the helm, though, and he hasn’t shown any interest in being a back-up, so it’s a longshot that Ryan will get another quality playing opportunity anywhere.

As for his role at CBS, fans familiar with him know that he’ll knock it out of the park. Matt is smart, experienced player with a great personality and warmth that is sure to show through on TV. CBS’s press release mentions that he’ll serve a role both in the studio and in the booth, so fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch his analysis as he phases into a new professional era.