Following retirement, Falcons great Matt Ryan earns CBS promotion

The Falcons offseason has dominated storylines.

From their head coaching search to Kirk Cousins’ free agency to the Bill Belichick bombshell story to drafting Michael Penix, there has been no shortage of headlines in Atlanta.

Hell, even the greatest player in franchise history retired. Less than a couple of weeks ago, Matt Ryan announced his retirement from the NFL as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

The news brought about immediate debates on his Hall of Fame candidacy, which already has voters split, as well as a potential stint as a coach. Ryan quickly shut down any notion that he wants to join Raheem Morris on the sidelines in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and there’s a good reason for that.

It’s not because he doesn’t have an interest in coaching in Atlanta. It’s because he’s thriving in a different facet of the National Football League, as a commentator.

Last season was the first time Ryan had been in the booth, and he was a natural, even calling a Falcons game. The long-time quarterback is able to connect to various audiences with different backgrounds and age groups, and it’s earned him a promotion.

Per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms have been removed from the CBS Sports’ pregame show and Matt Ryan will take their place. Ryan will join host James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher, with J.J. Watt in a part-time role.

Esiason, 22 years, and Simms, nearly 20 years, have combined for more than 40 years with CBS Sports, but it’s clear that Matt Ryan is a rising star, “impressing CBS Sports president David Berson and his team of executives,” per Marchand.

The Falcons great is going to thrive with the CBS crew because he can simplify nuanced aspects of the game but also because of his likability with so many different demographics.