The Pro Football Hall of Fame accidentally took a jab at Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan after he made NFL history. Ryan recently set a career mark of 60,000 career passing yards and is now the eighth player in NFL history to reach that total. Because of that, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has put the ball Ryan used to reach that total in its museum in Canton, Ohio. But the serial number on the Ball Ryan threw to make history is “283,” a number Ryan would like to forget.
When Ryan played for the Atlanta Falcons, he led the team to the Super Bowl during the 2016 season. The Falcons were leading the New England Patriots in the big game 28-3 but lost the game in overtime 34-28, making it the worst loss in Falcons history. But as bad as that loss was, Ryan did have a 2016 season to remember, throwing for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. And in the Super Bowl, Ryan finished the game completing 17 of his 23 passes for 284 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 144.1.
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Ryan was a member of the Falcons from 2008 to 2021 before being traded to the Colts earlier this year. During his time in Atlanta, Ryan was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008, selected to the Pro Bowl four times and named Offensive Player of the Year and MVP in 2016. He also holds several NFL records including the most regular season wins by a quarterback in his first five seasons (56, tied with Russell Wilson) and the most consecutive NFL games with at least 200 passing yards (64).
“I have spent more than a decade playing for you, the fans of Atlanta,” Ryan said in a letter to Falcons fans after being traded to the Colts. “You have made all of this worth it, and all of this means something more than what could ever be reflected in a statistic. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I thank you, so sincerely, for the life you have given me all of these seasons.” Ryan is off to a slow start with the Colts. In his first two games with the team, Ryan has completed 60% of passes for 547 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.
