Matt Ryan is gone, but his name remains all over the Falcons record book.
Ryan - far and away - holds every franchise passing record. Ryan’s 14-season tenure as quarterback came during a period in the NFL when offenses were wide open. He also led the Falcons to their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and is the only Falcons player to be named the league MVP.
Here is a look inside the statistics of those widely considered the top three quarterbacks in team history, all of whom had abrupt ends to their Falcons careers:
Matt Ryan
In the pass-happy era, Ryan holds the franchise records for total yards (59,735), completions (5,242), attempts (8,003), completion percentage (65.5%), touchdowns (367) and interceptions (170). The total-yards mark ranks eighth all-time in NFL history. He was the leading active player until Tom Brady, the all-time leader, came out of brief retirement.
From a single-season perspective, Ryan holds the top nine individual seasons for passing yards, and 11 of the top 12. The all-time record is the 4,944 yards he threw in 2016, his MVP and the Falcons’ Super Bowl season. He also threw 38 touchdown passes that season, the record. Ryan holds the top three single-season touchdown records and nine of the top 11.
Ryan led the Falcons to the postseason six times, including his rookie season of 2008 after he was the No. 3 overall pick. They have missed the playoffs the past four seasons. Ryan will be remembered as part of the Super Bowl team that blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots and lost in overtime. He was a four-time Pro Bowler.
Ryan’s tenure with the Falcons ended Monday when he was traded to the Colts. The Falcons had discussed a trade of Ryan to help their dire salary-cap situation. However, when the team got involved in the pursuit of Deshaun Watson, the relationship between Ryan and the Falcons splintered and a deal was made.
Steve Bartkowski
Bartkowski, the Falcons quarterback from 1975-85, ranks second in most of the franchise’s all-time records. He is second in total yards (23,470), completions (1,871), attempts (3,330), touchdowns (154) and interceptions (141). His completion percentage (56.2%) is fifth all-time for those with at least 500 attempts.
Bartkowski’s single-season best for total yards was 3,829 in 1981, the 13th best total in franchise history. He threw for 31 touchdowns in 1980 and 30 in 1981, the fourth and fifth most for a single season, breaking Ryan’s run of the top 11.
The Falcons went to the postseason three times with Bartkowski, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 draft. He also has a memorable loss on his resume. In the 1980 season, the Falcons failed to hold a 14-point lead headed into the fourth quarter in a divisional loss to the Cowboys, 30-27. He was a two-time Pro Bowler.
Bartkowski’s tenure with the Falcons had an unceremonious end. He was benched after five games in the 1985 season in favor of Dave Archer and waived following the season. He played one season with the Rams, making six starts, before retiring.
Michael Vick
Vick was a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who did as much with his legs as his arm during his tenure from 2001-06. The Falcons traded with the Chargers to get the No. 1 overall pick in 2001 to select Vick.
As a passer in his Falcons career, Vick threw for 11,505 yards (fifth) with 930 completions (fifth), 1,730 attempts (fourth) and a completion percentage of 53.8% (eighth). As a rusher, Vick gained 3,859 yards, which ranks first among team quarterbacks and seventh all-time behind six running backs. Ryan has the second-most career rushing yards for a quarterback with 1,469. For his entire career, including stints with three other teams, Vick is the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards for a quarterback at 6,109 yards.
Vick’s best single-season passing total was 2,936 yards, 24th all-time for the Falcons. His best single-season rushing total was 1,039 yards, done in 2006, the first 1,000-yard season for a quarterback. It stood as the NFL’s all-time single-season rushing record for a quarterback until Lamar Jackson rushed for 1,206 in 2019.
Vick led the Falcons to the postseason twice in his tenure, including a run to the NFC Championship game in the 2004 season. The 2002 playoffs featured a wild-card victory at frigid Green Bay, 27-7. Vick went to three Pro Bowls with the Falcons and four overall.
Vick missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons after he was convicted of federal dogfighting charges. He ultimately was released by the Falcons in 2009. He went on to play for the Eagles, Jets and Steelers before retiring in 2016. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2010 with the Eagles, in a season that featured a game against the Redskins in which he passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 80 yards and another two touchdowns.
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