Matt Ryan Must Win a Super Bowl to Change His Legacy
By Kit Anderson
Matt Ryan has had a busy off-season signing a 5-year $150-Million dollar deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The deal doesn’t change expectations for what Ryan must do. If Ryan wants to change his legacy he must win a Super Bowl.
Paying franchise quarterbacks like Matt Ryan doesn’t change the expectations for him. While this may seem odd, Ryan joins a long list of franchise signal callers to be paid top dollars without winning a Super Bowl.
For Ryan, winning a Super Bowl isn’t about his contract. Winning a Super Bowl is about changing his legacy and how he will be remembered in the NFL.
Some actions are famous and others infamous. We point to the “Butt Fumble” as a prime infamous example. Losing to the Patriots in the Super Bowl after leading 28-3 is another infamous storyline.
For Matt Ryan, he will be remembered as the MVP who blew the Super Bowl lead. He will end his career in the top five of most every meaningful quarterback stat but that isn’t what will stick with the fans.
Super Bowls are especially memorable when you lose in the fashion the Falcons did it becomes even more memorable. I believe Matt Ryan is a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback regardless of whether or not he wins a ring.
Still, if Ryan wants to be remembered differently he has to get back to the big game. If he were to manage a Super Bowl win it would change his legacy and the way we view him entirely.
He would be remembered in NFL history as an MVP Super Bowl-winning quarterback who brought Atlanta their first football championship. It would be their first Major Sports championship win in over 20 years.
A city never forgets their sports heroes. Ryan has a chance to become an even bigger icon in Atlanta sport’s history if he can bring a championship to Atlanta.
If not, it seems likely he will go down in NFL history as the quarterback who blew the biggest Super Bowl lead in history. An infamous lead that only a Super Bowl win in Atlanta could change the narrative.
Matt Ryan doesn’t need to win a Super Bowl because of his new contract. He needs to win a Super Bowl to change his legacy and to go down as one of the best ever to play in Atlanta.