The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly restructuring veteran quarterback Matt Ryan's contract to create $12million in salary cap space ahead of the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Next season, the Falcons are 9/2 to win NFC Sorth - a division in which they currently have the most stable quarterback situation following Tom Brady's decision to retire from football left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without a top-class passer.
Ryan deal has massive value
Ryan was due to make $23.75m in salary in 2022, but his cap number was set to be a hefty $48.66m that eclipsed anyone else in the NFL, including back-to-back regular season MVP Aaron Rodgers, according to Sportrac.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot raised a few eyebrows when he spoke at last week's NFL Combine and didn't fully commit to Ryan being the team's 2022 starter.
The 36-year-old has restructured his contract - a six-year $150m deal signed in 2017 - four times to help the Falcons.
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As of Friday, per Over the Cap, the Falcons were $4.2m under the salary cap, but $1.7m over in effective cap space.
Other contracts under review
Fontenot is next likely to address the contracts of Jake Matthews, Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones, who also have high salary-cap numbers.
The Falcons can offer extensions, do restructures or reductions and make out-right cuts prior to 1st June and Fontenot said the situations would be fluid.
"We have to make sure we assess the value and stay within our parameters with every player," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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