The Atlanta Falcons seemingly came out of nowhere this week to become a contender to land Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans. But while they wait to find out what Watson decides, they’re shifting some schedules to save themselves some money.
According to Adam Schefter, the Falcons pushed back the $7.5 million roster bonus to current quarterback Matt Ryan from Friday to Tuesday, giving themselves four extra days to potentially trade Ryan if Watson does decide he wants to come to Atlanta.
Falcons now have pushed back the $7.5 million roster bonus due Friday to QB Matt Ryan to Tuesday, giving Atlanta four extra days to hear the Deshaun Watson decision and be able to trade Ryan if necessary, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2022
As many have noted, Ryan is going to get the bonus no matter what because even if he’s traded his new team will owe him what’s due. But in the meantime, it’s a clear indication that the Falcons think there’s a solid chance they’ll land Watson, necessitating the need to trade their longtime starter. Watson has a no-trade clause and can tell the Texans where he wants to play.
Ryan signed a $150 million five-year extension with the Falcons in 2018, making him a $30 million per year quarterback and briefly making him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Many have noted that allowing the Falcons to push back the bonus means Ryan is playing ball with the team and is open to moving on if and when that happens. It does make one wonder if Ryan will request to be traded even if Watson decides not to play for Atlanta.
While we wait to find out how it’s all going to play out, there were plenty of reactions across NFL social media on Thursday night.
That’s masterful work, I assume, by Terry Fontenot. The hoops folks are willing to jump through are getting bigger and bigger. https://t.co/nWk6BSJ7N7
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) March 18, 2022
https://twitter.com/38Godfrey/status/1504617517238693890
Imagine treating the greatest QB in your franchise's history this way. https://t.co/4JWC2vFQgj
— Jeff Asher (@Crimealytics) March 18, 2022
You can just…push these things back? https://t.co/dXOnuRh1tj
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) March 18, 2022
Interesting…interesting that Matt was ok with this https://t.co/RQY0tLTaNq
— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) March 18, 2022
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.