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The Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan had a terrible outing against the Philadelphia Eagles in their season-opener yesterday, losing 32-6.
Losing in blowout fashion to a team considered among the weakest this season is certainly not a good look for the Falcons. The team wasn't expected to be competitive in 2021, but the manner of their defeat against the Eagles may accelerate the franchise's will to go into a full rebuild mode.
If the Falcons commit to a rebuild, they will have to trade their aging stars for assets. The first domino to fall will likely be quarterback Matt Ryan. Should the Falcons trade their star quarterback before the trade deadline?
The Atlanta Falcons shouldn't trade Matt Ryan before the deadline
The short answer is no. Not everything is the quarterback's fault. Matt Ryan has been underappreciated for almost his entire NFL career. When he had the weapons, he led his team to a Super Bowl. He has won 113 games and thrown for 367 touchdowns, including the post-season.
Ryan not only has a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator this year, but he also lost center Alex Mack and future Hall of Fame wide receiver Julio Jones. The offense also lost Todd Gurley and made Mike Davis the starting running back.
The Eagles may have sacked Ryan only three times, but the pressure was constant. Without Julio Jones, wide receiver Russell Gage disappeared, and star receiver Calvin Ridley couldn't impact the game. Rookie tight end Kyle Pitts also got a reality check in his first game in the NFL.
The ground game wasn't impactful either. Running back Mike Davis had 15 carries for 49 yards, averaging just 3.3 yards.
Atlanta's misfortune is not Matt Ryan's fault. Far from it. The team is rebuilding and it will be a tough season mentally and emotionally for the players. But it's better to have a competent former MVP calling the shots than an inexperienced quarterback doing it.
Trading Ryan only makes sense if someone offers a first-round pick for him, but that will not happen. So the Falcons would be better off sticking with a star they know can deliver on the field, especially when he has given the team so much and can still be important in helping develop the next franchise quarterback.
