A lot has changed since the last time Matt Ryan addressed the media.
Ryan joined 680 The Fan's "The Front Row" on Wednesday morning and covered several topics including his thoughts on his new head coach, how long he wants to play for, his thoughts on if the Falcons were to draft a quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick and who he thinks will win Super Bowl LV.
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The Falcons hired Arthur Smith as head coach and he will also call plays on offense. Smith is an offensive-minded coach who will implement a new system. This means Ryan will have a new scheme to learn and new coaches to get acclimated with. There's a lot of work to be done and he's excited about the opportunity to start working with Smith.
"I've been able to talk to him a handful of times," Ryan said. "I'm excited about it. I think he is really smart. I think his personality is a really good fit for in my opinion what we need at this point. I'm excited about the staff he's put together, I think there's a good mix between youth and energy as well as experience. I think it's going to be a good combination for us."
His thoughts on if Falcons were to draft a quarterback in the first round
Several mock drafts have Atlanta selecting a quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft. At 35, Ryan is aware of where he's at in his career in terms of his age. With that being said, Ryan is still playing at the top of his career and signed a five-year contract in 2018 that goes until 2023.
But like all NFL teams, assessing the roster and planning for the future is something each team does every year at all positions.
As one of the team leaders, Ryan said no matter the position of the player, he'll treat his new teammate like he would anyone else that comes into Atlanta's locker room.
"I think that's part of being a team and being a part of it is that you're going to be a good teammate," Ryan said. "And that's exactly what I would do and help where you can. And then you also have the personal responsibility of trying to be the best player you can be. I think whatever happens at that spot we're all professionals, we all understand how this goes. I'm going to be the best possible teammate the way I've always been to everyone who's come in our building."
How long does he see himself playing for?
Tom Brady has said he wants to play until he's 45. If Drew Brees decides to retire this year, he'll have played until 42. Aaron Rodgers is 37. Some of the best quarterbacks in the game have played longer than most thought they probably could.
And while Ryan has certainly taken note of how long his peers has played, he doesn't want to associate a number with how long he plans to play until. What's important to Ryan is how he feels mentally and physically and the level of his performance.
"For me personally, I don't set a number on it," Ryan said. "I just want to play as long as I'm playing well and my body feels really good."
Bucs or Chiefs in Super Bowl LV?
Ryan and the Falcons played the Buccaneers and the Chiefs this season so if there's anyone who knows about both of the teams playing in this weekend's game, it's Ryan.
Ryan thinks the Buccaneers will win because of the talented defense they have and the number of weapons Brady has at his disposal.
"As much as it pains me to say that I felt like their defense was one of the most difficult for us to go against, we had to face them twice," Ryan said. "Offensively, they've gotten better the entire year and I think they're playing their best football right now. I think it's going to be a close game; both of those teams are really good."
