Former NFL QB Matt Ryan talks golf, taking hits, broadcasting and more

Matt Ryan officially hung up his shoulder pads in April — although he had last played in December 2022 — but for some pros (Brett Favre?) it’s often hard to actually retire.

But Ryan says that won’t be an issue for him. The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who spent his final season with the Indianapolis Colts, was the guest on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast. In it they discussed Ryan’s golf game — he’s near scratch — and where he plays around Atlanta.

Hideki Matsuyama at the Paris Olympics.
Hideki Matsuyama robbed at airport after winning bronze at Olympics
By: Josh Berhow

Subpar co-host Colt Knost also asked this hypothetical: “Say a team is making a playoff run and loses their quarterback, and your phone rings…”

“I’m good, baby,” Ryan, said, smiling. “I’ve lost probably 10, 12 pounds since I played. Listen, I’m proud of what I did during my time, and I’m comfortable kind of moving on. I’m happy that I got this incredible job around CBS and can still stay in the game in a way that I want to, but my time is done.

“This is what I think is so good about the NFL right now. The young group of quarterbacks that we have in the league right now I think is going to be special. And they are going to be fun to watch for the next 10, 12 years. The league is in a great place right now.”

A week after Ryan retired, he officially joined “The NFL Today” show on CBS Sports. You can watch the complete interview with Ryan below.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing, editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.