Tony Romo, Tom Brady…Matt Ryan?
Per the New York Post, Colts quarterback Matt Ryan “is very interested” in becoming a broadcaster if he retires from the NFL.
I don’t know how much there is to this rumor, because after all, there aren’t many broadcasting jobs available, and would Ryan really want to be calling the third or fourth best game for a network each week? Sliding him into a game analyst role at any network would be tricky, if not impossible, and a studio role would probably be far more feasible.
Then again, it feels like we have this discussion quite often when a veteran quarterback is nearing retirement. Two years ago, Philip Rivers was mentioned as a possible analyst for a network, and nothing came of it.
The Post also mentions a pair of other future analysts that could complicate matters further for Ryan – Sean McVay of the Rams (who has been publicly linked to TV jobs the last two offseasons) and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers (who has shown no signs of leaving the coaching world any time soon).
Ryan could also continue playing, further shifting the “future analyst” discussion down the road a bit. Waiting could be a double edged sword – some older analysts will be a year closer to retirement, but Ryan could be jumped in line by other former players or coaches looking to move to TV (including McVay, while Tom Brady’s Fox tenure will begin in full with the 2024 season, which will have an effect on Greg Olsen’s broadcasting future).
As the NFL’s broadcasting carousel begins to turn, Ryan will be one to keep an eye on if he decides to not play in 2023.
