Matt Ryan is the world's 60th highest paid athlete, according to Forbes' 2019 list of best-paid sports figures.

The 2016 league MVP signed a five-year, $150 million deal — $100 million of it guaranteed — with Atlanta in 2018.

The Falcons quarterback became the first NFL player to get paid an average $30 million per season. His deal paved the way for quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers ($33.5 million) and Russell Wilson ($35 million) to cash in.

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Ryan earns about $5 million annually from endorsements with Panini, Banana Republic, Nike, Gatorade, Mercedes-Benz and a handful of other sponsors.

Throughout his career Ryan will make more than $327 million from football, according to NFLPA documents.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection owns more than a dozen franchise records, including most passing yards (46,720), most passing touchdowns (295) and most passing yards in a single game (503 in 2014).

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Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. returned to practice Thursday after suffering a groin injury. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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