The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Offseason Interview Series: Falcons QB Matt Ryan

Episode Date: May 25, 2021

Robert Mays continues the Offseason Interview Series with special guest Matt Ryan - Falcons QB, Pro Bowler & face of the franchise for a decade plus. How does he feel about the Julio Jones stuff? Was he consulted before the Falcons selected Kyle Pitts at pick 4? How does he feel about the Super Bowl loss now? These topics and more exclusively on a new Athletic Football Show.Get all-access to The Athletic with an exclusive discount at theathletic.com/footballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome to the athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays. Very excited about today's show. The second edition of our offseason interview series, Matt Ryan obviously had a fascinating point in his career. New head coach, an offensive system that he's gotten used to. Kyle Pitts is in Atlanta now.

We touched on all of that. Very excited about our conversation. Let's get to it. I am thrilled now to welcome Atlanta, Falcons quarterback, NFL MVP. Matt Ryan. Matt, how you doing, man? I'm doing good. Thanks for having me on. I am so excited to do this. This is our second one in this series. I definitely wanted to have you on. I've enjoyed talking to you in the past about various stuff. I figured we'd have a good conversation. First thing's first though. Yesterday was your birthday. Happy birthday. 36. Did you guys do anything fun?

It was low key, you know. I feel like your birthdays in the 30s are a little more low key than the ones in the 20s. but had a good day with my family and it was a lot of fun. So it was a nice birthday. You've got two little ones now, right? I do. I've got twin boys that are three. And so I think they were more excited for the balloons and the cake and all that stuff than anybody else.

It was a lot of fun. You're a couple of years ahead of me. I turned 34 in August. And I agree. The birthdays in the 30 is just a little bit different. And it's crazy to me that. they all kind of run together. Yeah, exactly.

They don't have a matter anymore. But it's crazy to me that we're around the same age because you've been a part of my football life for so long. I remember watching that 2008 draft. I was living in London. I was studying abroad. I was 20 years old. And the fact that a decade and a half has gone by is kind of hard to believe.

And I'm sure you feel the same way. That was right around when I was also going to Boston College a little bit and staying in the mods a couple different times, which I'm sure you know, I had a very good time. back in the day. We've both come a long way since the mods and the couches at the box and the cage. That's exactly right. Oh, God.

And it was couch living at the mods. So I wanted to ask you this because since that time, since 2008, where you're in year 14. And with the draft kind of in the rear view mirror here, how different do you think it would be for you, the process of playing as a young quarterback in today's NFL with your skill set than it was in 2008? because you really kind of started a trend, you and Joe Flacco that year, of guys that could play right away. And I think that really pushed on that idea. Do you think that the way the game is currently structured now, you would be able to have that sort of comfort level and success early on like you did back then?

It's tough to say. I think, you know, obviously the game's changed, you know, quite a bit. But what makes you successful as it, you know, hard work and being. accurate with the football, making good decisions. Those things, you know, those things still are tried and true. You look at Tom Brady, you know, winning a Super Bowl last year, and he's the master of being accurate, making really good decisions, you know, making sure situationally you're dialed in. So I think, you know, that skill set really never goes out of style. But, you know, I really feel like I learned a ton because of the trial by fire.

Like you just get thrown into it and you become a better player so much quicker. And so I'd like to think I'd still, you know, be successful, you know, the same way, you know, I was in 2008. It's funny because I'm looking at those numbers. You threw 434 passes while starting 16 games that year, which is just so crazy. Think about last year you threw 626 passes. You threw 16 touchdowns as a rookie and you guys went 11 and 5. And it just feels like, because remember back to that year, Michael Turner had a monster year, and you guys really constructed the offense in such a way that it protected you as a rookie quarterback.

You really got to settle in in this way. And now, with the way the passing game is transition and how much you have to lean on that, it seems like it could be really difficult to have an 11 and 5 team where you threw the ball 424 times. So that's kind of the difference now, I think, is probably if we're throwing guys to the fire, that process looks a lot different than it did 13 years ago. There's no question. You know, I came into a really, you know, fortunate position where we were a run heavy football team. I had, you know, some Michael Turner was incredible.

And we leaned on him pretty heavily. But also the scope of the passing game has changed a lot since 2008, where, you know, there's so many more different ways to throw the football, whether it be RPO's, whether it be these quick games, quick screens, wide receiver screens getting out. That just wasn't as big of a part of the game back then. You know, it was heavier. You're going to run the football.

You're going to drop back and you're going to have your play action pass. And that was more how it operated then. And so it's definitely different. I'd look across the league. I'd think back then that all of the numbers are higher and more inflated now than they were. And so it was just a byproduct of some of the timing. But certainly, you know, lucky to be able to lean on a really nice run game and a good defense back in 2008.

It's interesting because you're right, because I think that now the idea of protecting a young quarterback looks a lot different. Now it's more about folding in college offenses, giving them easy, quick answers, where back then it was more of the running game. So that transition has been obvious to watch. So you're 36, you're 14, and you're kind of starting over again, which I'm sure is a process and something to really chew on here. new coaching staff, new-ish offensive system, which we'll talk about.

But as you're going through this and as you're starting a dialogue with Arthur and kickstarting this process, how does it start? How do you begin learning this system and starting that conversation with him, just early steps? I think it starts just with discussions about, you know, philosophy as opposed to, you know, X's and O's or specifics about terminology or route concepts or protection, it really starts with the belief system of what it is that he believes in and how he wants to build us moving forward. And that's, you know, really were our initial conversations when I first met with him

after he was hired. And from there, you start to get into the nuts and bolts of it, you know, and that starts really from how we're going to huddle, you know, where we're going to line up in the huddle. You're going back to things that, you know, probably you haven't thought of in a number of years, but that's the way it is when you transition. You really do, you know, you dot every eye, you cross every T along the way.

And so you start absolutely from the basics, and you try and build up from there. And I think he's done a great job of laying out a really good format for trying to teach it, not only to myself, but to all our guys. And you can see that, you know, out on the field the last couple of days, guys have done a good job of, you know, digesting all of the information that has come our way the last couple of weeks.

So philosophy-wise, you and I have talked about this in the past, just how even if the fundamentals of that system, that system and how it goes from place to place, say the same, the ways the guys teach it, the little flavors they put on it are different. So in terms of presenting his philosophies and those overarching ideas, How are they different than some of the other just big picture concepts and ideas that you may have been introduced to when you first got associated with this type of offense? Yeah, it's definitely different. You know, it's how things are taught like you mentioned and what is emphasized.

Different things are more heavily emphasized with different coaches. And, you know, what they go to situationally is much different. you know, what, you know, what they're comfortable with, what quarterbacks, what wide receivers are in the system. So what are the things from a, from a, you know, concept standpoint, what are you going to emphasize? How do you bring out the best in your guts? Those are the things that are constantly evolving, you know, from a formation standpoint, it's, you know, very similar to what I learned in 2015 when Kyle came here with Dan Quinn. And so, you know, Kyle's players and skill set that he has in San Francisco now are much different from what Arthur had in Tennessee and much different from what we have here in Atlanta. And so you really kind of morph into different versions of the same system and you're trying to emphasize the talents of certain players.

And I think to me, that's what great coaches do. You know, they have a belief system, but they build towards that as they draft and they bring players in. But in the interim, they find ways to get the best out of the guys that are in the building. How is it already that granular where you're seeing the way that it's grafted onto Julio and grafted on to Calvin and how they inform it? Have you already gotten to that point? Not really. I think at this point, it's more of making sure we know where to line up, making sure. I was going to say, I was like, it feels like that'd be pretty quick.

Yeah, yeah. We're not quite there yet. You know, we'll get there and we'll feel. I think that's really where training camp is, you know, you start to discover who you are as a team. I think this time of the year is really about individuals, you know, learning the system, making sure that we're able to line up, making sure that we know, you know, know our assignments, you know, when training camp comes and getting into good shape. But training camp, to me, is really where the team starts to come together and you find your identity. So obviously the DNA is going to be pretty similar just because of you can look at the web of it.

Matt was in Tennessee. Matt left Tennessee. Arthur takes over that offense. Matt was, the floor is, that's Matt. He's a quarterback coach in Atlanta when you're there. So it all is a tangled web of sorts. So the DNA is probably similar. What are the key distinctions you've noticed so far? Where are the gaps between what Matt might and Kyle might have done with you and what Arthur seems to want to do? well you know it's odd it's odd too because Arthur Smith spent time with Mike Malarkey who was my first offensive It's got it's all entangled within each other right

It's like it all is connected There's there's way too many connections You know so there there's residue from all of these Of all of these people that have been with And you know I think I think each guy just has a different personality and a different way of teaching. And the one thing I think that all of them do that is that is great is they're true to who they are, right? And how they teach and how they

lead. And so, you know, the the X's and O's are similar. You know, you learn them. But it's really the style of leader that they are and the, you know, style of teacher and communicator. That's probably the thing that's most different. All these guys have much different personalities. And it's really about finding ways, you know, one, as a quarterback and coach to connect and to make sure that you're on the same page. But two, to make sure that you're driving home the right message, you know, with the guys you're playing with, too, making sure that you're getting the things he wants, you know, across to the guys. And so, you know, we're working through that right now. How do you figure out, because I know you have opinions on certain aspects and you like to push back every so often. How do you figure out when and how to do that?

Like, all right, this is when my input is going to be useful. Because that communication and that dialogue, I'm sure, is one of the more substantial parts of figuring out that relationship early on. So how do you learn where those kind of barriers are? I think it's like any relationship you have. You know, you have to get a feel for the person and the best way to communicate and to be honest with each other and to get the best out of each other. And so, you know, we're still in that.

You know, I'm still saying, you know, know, okay, I hear you, but, you know, I also have done it, you know, a different way and had success with that. And I think there's certain things that, that, you know, you just, you put your hand down and you say, listen, I hear you, but I've done it this way for a long time. I feel a lot more comfortable doing it this way. He's been receptive to that for sure. But I'm also, you know, I think one of the things you learn the longer you play is that you really don't know that much, right? You can constantly soak things in from other places. There are ways to be more efficient. There are ways to be better. And I'm not, you know, while I'm hard-headed,

I'm not that stubborn to know that there are sometimes better ways to do it. And I'm always excited to learn more and to try and improve. We're getting softer around our old age. I think both of us are. That's the takeaway there. Yeah, I was a lot more stubborn young. Kids, kids, lose. Yeah, kids make you be more patient. Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure. God, I'm far away from that, but I'm sure that's going to be the case.

So you and I have talked about this before, just kind of the small little details of that offense with Kyle and Matt that you had to get used to. Remember you talking about the way they used their backs and pass protection was part of it. Some of the footwork on the play pass stuff, trusting when certain concepts would come open. How does that experience in that offense and does it accelerate your comfort level with what you guys are doing right now. Definitely accelerates it because, you know, from a learning standpoint, there are so many things that carry over.

And so it's like you're just going back in time a little bit and reframing your mindset to some of the things that I did at different points. So I think it helps accelerate it that way, you know, but there are wrinkles and there are different ways to do it. And we have different guys. And so you're constantly, from a footwork standpoint, constantly working on trying to make sure that everything you're doing is putting yourself in position to be as accurate as you can possibly be and to be on time. And that's, you know, that's the constant, you know, battle. And, you know, you rework it.

Dave Ragon is a guy that's come in who's been in different systems who has a different set of eyes, which I think is really good. and he has an objective set of eyes coming from a place where it wasn't hammered into your head a certain way and can say, you know, I like that or, you know, I don't like that. I think sometimes, you know, an objective set of eyes is a really good thing too. So I've really enjoyed kind of hearing his opinions on certain things from an outsider's perspective. And the physical part of it, I'm sure that there's muscle memory and you get back used to it and everything. But there was an emotional and kind of mental gap that you had to get over back then too, where you had to trust when things were going to come open.

You had to trust what the defense would look like after you turn your back to it. The fact that you've already worked through some of that stuff, I'm sure that you've already come to terms with that makes it easier now to step back into it. It's like, oh, when I'm turning my back now, I'm used to that in a way that I just wasn't five or six years ago. 100%. You know, the trust level of, you know, you got to trust that this run scheme is going to help get things open in certain spots because you're not really going to see it. and you still have to have the belief to cut it loose and make sure it's gone on time.

And, you know, when you watch cutups of Tennessee, thought Ryan Tanahill did a great job of that, trusting in the scheme and what Arthur Smith was designing for them at that time. You know, they're very productive in their play action pass game. And they ran a ton of drift routes in that offense over the last couple years, which you had kind of honed in on in 2016 in that second year. The other concept you told me that you guys really liked were all those blazeouts that you ran back then. So I was watching Julio a little bit the other day.

And you guys hit one of those deep outs last year against Carolina at Carolina. Incredible throw, by the way. Very well done. And I was watching it. And just the idea that this is a 31-year-old guy putting the fear of God in a corner that runs 4-3 and making him fall over. I don't think we appreciate him enough. And I wanted to ask you with somebody who watches him,

him every day and has such a closeness and an intimacy of what he does well. What don't we appreciate about Julio that you can really only understand when you watch him with that closeness every day? Well, I think it's the violence with which he runs. You know, it's just, it's so intimidating. He is so physically gifted in terms of, you know, making people feel that he's just going to blow right by them because his stride length is gait. It's unbelievable. And it's impressive to watch. It never gets old. I mean, you can be around him for as long as I have and you watch it every day.

And it's always incredibly impressive. But you're right. I mean, he, he is as good as anybody of, you know, getting guys feeling like he's running a go route or running a post route. And then his ability to stop, you know, at that level of explosiveness and still come out of it, you know, at 6-3 and as big and as strong as he is, it's not easy to do. And, well, it's not, I mean, nobody can do it other than him. So it's, it's impressive to watch every day. And he does it with such consistency, too, which is impressive. He really is incredibly consistent when it comes to those type of routes.

It's one of the more singular skills in all of the NFL, I think, when you're just thinking about what one guy does at a level no one else does, it's one of the first things that I think about. So obviously, in some of the trade rumors bubbling up about him, I'm sure navigating that is always strange, but it's probably even tougher when you're in offensive meetings and you're looking at him and Calvin and Kyle Pitts now and just thinking, we can do something with this. How do you just navigate that? When you understand we have the players in place to win now, but as a franchise, there's always going to be other considerations they have to take into account. I think that's the hard thing, you know, at any time. I mean, the reality is because of his level of success and that he's had in his career, this is a major story. But, you know, within your locker room, this is constantly happening. You know, this is constantly happening to guys where you're not sure how long they're going to be there. There's transactions happening all the time. It's difficult. It's the part of, you know, it's the part of, you know, it's the part of, you know, it's the part.

of the job that sucks. But you have to just stay in pocket of focusing on, we're all here right now, and we all got to focus on what we're going to do together right now. And then you make adjustments as adjustments come in the future. But beyond that, you worry about day-to-day and focusing on trying to get better today and make sure that I know the system a little better today, that we all know it a little better today and then, you know, not worry so much about, you know, down the line because in my career, I've been around a long time. There's been lots of different things happen. You just have to adjust

to it. And the push and the pull of the president in the future is something a franchise always has to balance. And the Falcons in general, I think, were at that point coming into the draft. They have a fourth overall pick in a quarterback heavy draft. You just turned 36. Was there a conversation at any point, be it with ownership, the front office about what your future in Atlanta would look like and whether they were considering taking a quarterback in the top five? No, I mean, they're clear to me that, you know, their job is to find the best players that they feel like help our organization moving forward. And, you know, you can't help but respect that as a player.

And so I didn't really know much else other than that. And, you know, I've always felt like I'm, I still have a lot of production and a lot of really good years in front of me. You know, but they felt like Kyle was, you know, the best person. and for our organization moving forward. And so that's all you can really ask for from a player's standpoint. It's just to be transparent about we're going to find the guy we feel is best. And if it's at your position, it's your job and your responsibility to not let them

beat you out. But if it is, you know, somebody else, then you've got to get them coached up and, you know, get them as far along as you can as a player. So that's kind of how I've always approached it. And, you know, I think that the further you get into your career, the more you understand that, you know, at some point it's going to happen, right? At some point, I'm not going to play forever. So at some point there's going to be somebody who's going to come in and replace me.

But, you know, my mindset is to not make that happen for a little while. You know, I still feel really good. When did you know it was Kyle Pitts when they made the pick? Yeah, I think kind of like everybody else, right? You know, you know, when the commissioner comes on and says it, you know, I was excited that that he was going to be a part of it. How much did you know about him previously? Had you watched him at all?

Yeah, one of our equipment guys who is a University of Florida guy. And so Joey's been telling me about Kyle Pitts forever. And I've also heard about him because he grew up, or he went to high school basically in the southeastern Pennsylvania area. So he's kind of a legend up there. But he went to Archbishop Wood, which I have some cousins who went there.

And my mom went there. And so I knew a little bit about him. And then, you know, you catch highlights and stuff like that. And he makes him unbelievable play. So he had an impressive college career. How are you with rookies now? Is it like an instant text message? Do you let them come to you?

I mean, you're 16 years older than him. So navigating that, I'm sure, is just different than it used to be. I know. It was funny. The first time I met him, he was talking about my high school. And he's like, you guys aren't very good at football. And I was like, well, man, you know, back in two. 2001, 2002, we were okay, you know.

But he was one year old. That's what he told me. He's like, I was one. I was like, oh, all right, that's not good. But no, I think, I think, you know, I sent him a text message after we drafted him and said, you know, congratulations. Enjoy this experience. It's a once in a lifetime deal. You know, so soak it up because it's, you're in year 14 before you know, you know what happened.

And so just enjoy that and soak it up. And then, you know, really when it's time to get to work, I'm really looking forward to getting to work with you and trying to be, you know, the best teammate I can be to help you achieve the goals that you want to achieve. I remember you told me a story about lawyer Malloy and you, when you were a rookie. And you were sitting there during OTAs and he essentially told you that they needed speakers in the locker room. Like the vibe in the locker room just wasn't there. And you had the equipment guys put in speakers in the locker room.

and that was a way to ingratiate yourself to the rest of the team as a rookie taken third overall. As you now have flipped that relationship and now your lawyer Malloy, how do you have to think about different ways to bond with guys? Do you consciously think about that stuff? It's like, all right, how do I create a connection now when I'm now the older guy in the locker room? Yeah, I think you do. You know, obviously interests are different and we're at different stages in life.

you know, but, you know, I think you find common interest or things that you're into. Could be sports, you know, talking about basketball or, you know, what guys are into. NBA playoffs are usually the thing that brings everybody on the team together. Everybody loves watching it. You're usually in the off-season program at that point. So you're getting ready for practice. You're talking about the games the night before. Just little stuff like that.

Just being, you know, just being a friend, being a human. and getting to know people on that level. I think I never really try and force it. I don't try and do anything different than I would do with anybody else. I just laid out there. This is who I am. This is what I'm into. And, you know, if you're about football, if you're about winning, if you're about those things,

we're going to get along perfect. And so that's kind of always how I've approached it. And that conversation that was during a chat, you and I had in 2016, it was right around Thanksgiving. and you guys were really turning a corner offensively. A couple months later, you win the MVP, the Super Bowl happens. And that season, I just love watching that team. I talk about it probably more than I should as someone with no connection to the Falcons whatsoever.

But 10 years from now, when you look back on that season, what do you think you'll think about first? Well, I mean, it's hard not to think about the end, you know, more so than anything because, you know, you're close and you don't, you know, you don't fit. it off the way you want to and win a championship, it's difficult. You know, but there's a lot of positives too, you know, some awesome, exciting times, fun times with teammates. But I think more so than anything, you probably think of the end. That's kind of the way I've always been wired. You forget some of the good things and those, the tough experiences always kind of stick there.

But for me, you know, it's always, it's always kind of. giving me the motivation to keep working, to keep going, to get back to that spot and to realize that, you know, my story's not written yet. And, you know, there's going to be a lot more to it. And, but if you ask me in 10 years, what I would think of, I'd probably think of that loss. What's your relationship with it now? Do you re-litigate it? Do you still go back? And like, if this thing had gone differently, if this had gone differently, what is the relationship you have with it at this point? No, I don't think, I mean, obviously, you know, you wish. You you had done things differently.

But, you know, going back to that space and, you know, trying to talk about all the things we should have. It doesn't change the result. I think more so than anything, you know, you go back to that with, all right, next time I'm in these positions, let's make sure that we have the answers that we want to have. Because I've always believed that you either win or you learn, right? in those losses, you can't, you can't lose. You got to learn from those things. You got to learn from those experiences.

And so, you know, I do think that in those situations, moving forward, I think I'm going to be a better player, better teammate, you know, for the guys around me because of that experience. You said your story isn't written yet. It's not, you know, you have this, I don't want to say final chance, but now you have another chance to do it with this franchise. with a couple of these guys that you played with before. But you've been in the league for a decade and a half

and you're closer to the end than the beginning and that there's really no way around that. It's probably time to start thinking about what your career looks like in totality and all of that stuff. Do you think about the Hall of Fame? Do you think about your legacy and all of that? Does it ever come across your mind? Not really.

I think that I think you get so caught up in day-to-day, week to week. And just I've always been a compartment, you know, I try and compartmentalize, like make things, make the big things small. And so by doing that, you know, I worry about, okay, what does my week look like this week? How am I going to get better this week? What days am I throwing? What am I going to do? You know, ultimately to be ready for training camp. And then in training camp is about getting ready for the regular season.

And then you kind of go week to week. And I always just kind of put myself in that space and not try and make it out. to be too big because, you know, I think if I would have thought about year 14, you know, in 2008 and playing at age 36, it's overwhelming. And I think anytime you mention things when you're done, accolades that you might get, I think to me, sometimes those things can be overwhelming and distract you from, you know, what's right in front of you. And I've learned from so many good players along the way that the route to getting there is one that has a lot of small, little incremental days of getting better.

And that's what it looks like. That's what that experience looks like. So I don't get overwhelmed with it. I don't think about it too much. You know, it's nice when people bring it up. It means that, you know, it hasn't been all bad, you know, along the road, which is a good thing. But I really think the only way you get there is to focus on what's in front of you.

It's almost similar to looking back at certain games. At a certain point, there isn't utility. in relitigating it. And there isn't utility in looking too far forward. You have to understand when it's helping you and when it's not.

So I think that's kind of the line that you have to draw. So now as you think about your weekly schedule, your daily schedule, has the pleasure you get out of the process changed? And how has it changed?

Like what little tiny glimmers of like, oh, I'm enjoying this now. Like, what excites you about the process now that maybe didn't when you first got started? Well, I think you realize just how important it is that maybe at 23, you know, 23 years old, you're doing it just to do it because you were told to do it. And then I think you get, you know, further in your career and there's like a moment where it clicks

and you're like, okay, I'm actually doing this because it's helping me get ready to go or play better or those things. I think, you know, that part of it, realizing that I've got a routine and a process that I feel like works for me, it makes me more confidence. You know, it, it, it helps build that level of confidence. And so that part of it, you know, makes me enjoy it more. I think there are certain parts that you enjoy less, no doubt. Mondays and Tuesdays are not quite as fun as they used to be, you know, 10, 12 years ago. But, you know, but for the most part, I think the thing that I'm most excited about is,

is what's, you know, what's in front of me. And, you know, that kind of makes all of the little things that you have to do, you know, much easier to do and much more enjoyable to do because, you know, I'm excited that I still have this opportunity. And I know that there's not 15 more seasons coming up. That shelf life is, is not happening for me. But, you know, however many it is, I'm excited about each one of those. What is like the silliest little thing that you look forward to. It surprises you that you look forward to it at this point. Kind of part of my warm-up,

so we go, I kind of have my arms up, and we've got these little two-pound weight of balls that we go to. And it's really, really boring. But I do look forward to, like, when you drop those balls and how light your arms feel afterwards and, like, picking up a football and getting ready to go, that feeling of picking up that ball after you've done that work, it kind of excites me every time because the football ends up feeling so light after that.

It's just one of those things. It might be stupid, but it's one of those things I look forward to every day. And then the last thing, I'm curious because we talked about this a little bit, just watching this offensive system, the bones of it and how it changes from place to place. When you're watching guys like Aaron now,

or like you mentioned Ryan Tannahill, what sort of stuff are you honing, in on and picking up on now that you just never could before. With a decade and a half of experience, what little things do you notice when you're watching other players at this stage? You know, how their footwork might be different on certain concepts. You know the concepts that they're running and how do they get themselves in position to be accurate with it?

Everybody's body type is different. And so I don't think it's a one-size-fits-all approach. Like everybody's a little bit different. But I do look at those guys and think, oh, man, I hadn't thought of it. That's an interesting way to try and get, you know, getting a good position to throw, like you mentioned, to drift off of wide zone action to your left, flipping around, throwing it to the backside. He did a cool thing with trying to get his right foot underneath his right hip. These are the little things I kind of watch when I'm watching him,

saying, that was, that was pretty good. Or Ryan Pantanill takes kind of a quick jump stop with a little hitch before he would throw. And it timed up really well. He did a great job throwing it. it's just little things you watch with those guys that you're saying. It's different from how I do it, but it's a unique way to get into it. And they've had a lot of success doing it. Well, I mean, I'm sure again, the stuff you notice now 15 years in is a lot different. The fact that it's been 15 years has to be surreal for you. It certainly is for me every once in a while thinking back on how long you've been in the league,

how long everybody's been at this. So I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. It's always great to chat with you. Matt Ryan, thank you very much, man. All right. Thanks, brother. I appreciate it. Awesome. All right, guys, that's all we got today. Thank you so much to Matt Ryan for the time.

Always good to chat with him. We will have another edition of this next Friday. Don't want to give it away quite yet who we're having on, but I'm really excited about it. Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast platform of choice. Really appreciate that. Also, please subscribe to The Athletic. Theathletic.com slash football show.

Still a ton of great stuff coming in the off season. We'll talk to you guys soon. Athletic Football Show.