Column: Matt Ryan should be on the 49ers in 2023

A few years back, I was casually starting up Madden with the goal of rebuilding an NFL franchise. This has happened on many occasions, as the day’s fascination with a particular team typically wears off with a good night’s sleep. This particular time the 49ers were at the forefront of my mind, coming off a Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Equipped with a talented roster, the first order of business was replacing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. A fine signal-caller but not one I envisioned leading San Francisco to the promised land after coming up short weeks prior. Trading for a franchise-leading QB in Madden is almost as daunting as doing so in real life. Luckily, Jimmy G had more value than he does currently (sorry not sorry).

Looking across the NFL landscape, I needed a gunslinger that had the experience to lead and win in crucial moments, but not one that would suffocate my salary cap into the next few seasons.

Alas, I finally found my guy, Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan.

Ryan was perfect for the 49ers’ offense, capturing his lone MVP award when Kyle Shanahan was calling the plays in Georgia. If not for a miraculous collapse to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, Ryan would have a Lombardi trophy to his name thanks to Shanahan. Now on a reasonable long-term deal, Ryan was the cost-effective option to lead San Francisco to a world title.

As soon as the trade was made, Ryan started cooking with the 49ers’ offense, winning the first two games of the 2021 regular season by a whopping margin. With a familiar face under center, San Francisco was buzzing with big postseason aspirations.

And then I stopped playing the franchise.

Like I said before, a short attention span always comes to light with me and video-game career modes (FIFA is even worse if you can believe it). But the memory got me thinking: Matt Ryan would be a great fit for the 49ers in 2023 as a backup.

Here’s how Ryan gets to the Bay Area.

How it would happen

Matt Ryan is currently under contract with the Indianapolis Colts for the final year of his five-year, $150 million extension he signed in 2018. Anticipated to have a $35.2 million cap hit, Indianapolis could actually save $17 million if he is released or traded from the team before March 17.  

Here’s a breakdown of the language in Ryan’s deal from the Indystar of Indianapolis, making $29.2 million if he plays the full season.

• $12 million is guaranteed
• There’s a $7.5 million roster bonus that becomes guaranteed on March 17, 2023
• An additional $7,205,882 of his salary is guaranteed on March 17, 2023
• An additional $2.5 million is paid throughout the season.

In this lone season as a Colt, Ryan possessed a 4-7-1 record in 12 starts. He finished the year with 3,057 passing yards, 14 TDs and 13 INTs. He also had a 43.1 QB rating, the lowest of his career. 

Finishing the season on the bench to give Sam Ehlinger and Nick Foles opportunities, it’s safe to say Indianapolis and Ryan are likely heading for a split, especially with new head coach Shane Steichen taking over this week. 

Why it should happen

The 49ers are pretty cap-strung heading into 2023, projected to only have $13-17 million in space this offseason. That money will be going to other areas of need on offense, particularly on the offensive line. San Francisco will also need to beef up their defensive line as well, getting exposed against the Eagles in the NFC Championship game. 

My point is that the Red & Gold don’t have the luxury of cash flow to spend on a starting-caliber QB. And by the looks of it, the front office is pretty happy with the two young options they have in-house.

“No, we’re content enough,” Shanahan previously stated about adding a veteran QB. “I know we have two starters on our team right now that I believe we can win with, so when you have that situation, you’re not that eager to go looking around.”

For those asking: Yes, the 49ers will sign a vet QB. But they'll have a strict budget for that. Brass has already publicly discussed this.

It'd take a miracle for Derek Carr to lower his asking price into that budget. Highly unlikely for Jimmy Garoppolo, too

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) February 14, 2023

With the emergence of Brock Purdy, San Francisco has two young gunslingers to lead the franchise. The real question is which one will take the No. 1 spot permanently. 

Trey Lance has the best chance to win the 2023 job right away, expected to return to full football activity by next month. Lance suffered an ankle fracture in Week 2 of the 2022 season that required two surgeries to fix ligament damage.   

Meanwhile, Purdy is just starting his road to recovery, scheduled to undergo UCL surgery in Texas on Feb. 23. Hoping for a six-month layoff, the former Mr. Irrelevant expects to be ready around the start of training camp. But complications could arise once the doctors go under the knife, potentially meaning a longer recovery timeline after a promising rookie season. 

While 49ers Faithful wants to focus on the future of the position, the organization knows they’ll need to bring in another arm to compete with Lance heading into the season. That arm, at least according to Shanahan, will likely be the best available option that can fit the style of his offense.

“The best available that can fit into the structure of our team and the salary cap and all that, but the best one available,” Shanahan reiterated.

Those comments pave the way for a veteran QB that Shanahan trusts to lift the room, but not to potentially take over as the starter anytime soon.

Enter old pal Matt Ryan. 

The duo obviously know each other quite well, spending two seasons together in Atlanta. Shanahan also knows how to get the best out 0f Ryan, producing an MVP-caliber player that took the Falcons to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1998.

While most QB-needy teams will be focused on the big fish like Garoppolo or Derek Carr, San Francisco can quietly get their business done as soon as the Colts release Ryan. And after making $150 million on the last deal, the 38-year-old knows his best days are behind him, hoping to get a Super Bowl ring before he rides off into the sunset of retirement. 

What better place to do that than San Francisco?

Possessing an elite defense and offense, Matt Ryan won’t have to do much in the Bay. He would be used in a mentor/player role to help nurture the young QBs already in place. And given the team’s history with injuries at the position, the veteran could find himself under center in 2023 with an incentive-laden deal, similar to Garoppolo.

You can always use more grown-ups in the room and Ryan is exactly that: A professional. He’s been there, done that, and that’s what Purdy and Lance need in order to grow. 

So if/when Ryan gets released by Indy, Kyle Shanahan should give his old signal-caller a jingle, because he’d be perfect in the 49ers’ system next season. 

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