Trade in the cleats for a mic? That’s exactly what Falcons legend Matt Ryan did after his final NFL snap. Last April, CBS made a bold two-for-one quarterback swap. It ushered out Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms, bringing in the newly retired QB to freshen up their Sunday broadcast. Now, every weekend, Ryan hops a flight from The A to NYC, leaving behind his wife and three kids to join James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, and J.J. Watt on the national stage. And for “Matty Ice,” this isn’t just another gig—it’s about reigniting that fire in front of millions.

Still, some viewers were skeptical. On paper, Ryan looked like the safe, classic choice: white, polished, and an MVP. But he never grabbed a ring. And with Tom Brady and Jason Kelce about to debut on rival networks, critics were quick to dismiss him. Ryan knows what people think. “You have to transcend that criticism in a certain way to say, ‘Well, what do I bring? What’s different? What’s unique?” he said. And that’s exactly what he’s working toward.

Meanwhile, inside Studio 43, his teammates already see what sets him apart. They admire his prep, his passion, and the edge that made him a franchise face in The A. “The perception doesn’t necessarily match the reality,” Watt shared. “Matt’s got some juice, man.” And now, fans are finally getting to see it without the helmet in the way.

Eventually, though, Ryan got real about how this all started. “I’ve always had fun coming on shows with you or with different guys and I had the opportunity a couple times while I was playing to go in and do some studio work… but I really didn’t think about it until I was done,” he admitted on the Dan Patrick Show.

And then, the ex-Falcons’ star opened up about how that Colts season changed everything. Ryan recounted, “My last year in Indy was a difficult year for the organization, for myself, for everybody that was in it.” After heading back to Atlanta, his wife—then pregnant—helped him think long term. “It probably a good time to be rooted and in home… I was really lucky got hired by CBS… then moved into the studio the next year… it wasn’t something like I was planning as a player.” And Matt regretted his time with Colts.

Matt Ryan calls his end of career with Colts was a ‘s–t show’

Matt Ryan didn’t hold back. After 15 seasons in the league—14 of them in The A with the Dirty Birds—his final stretch with the Colts is something he’d rather not relive. “I mean, it was a s–t show, you know, it was a s–t show of 18 months basically is the best way to describe it,” Ryan told The Athletic. Despite the mess, Ryan credits his family for staying grounded: “I think everybody in our family handled it well and came out of it stronger and in a really good spot.”

Following that, things only got messier in Indy. Ryan’s stint was already tough, but the midseason chaos made it worse. “It was one of those things, you know, I felt like I was going into it in a position where I’d probably seen it all in 14 years and then realize, ‘No you have not, you have not seen it all,’” he said. “It was a difficult year, there’s no doubt about it.”

Then came the benching. After 12 starts, Indy replaced him with Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger. That moment nudged him toward life beyond the field. “I called [Zucker] and said, ‘Listen, what do the next steps look like and what should I be doing?’”

Eventually, football still called to him. “Let’s just take some meetings,” Zucker advised. By Super Bowl week in Arizona, CBS had pitched Ryan a hybrid analyst role—and just like that, a new chapter began.