Atlanta Falcons trade Matt Ryan to Indianapolis Colts, reach two-year deal with Marcus Mariota

ATLANTA — After 14 seasons and becoming the best quarterback in franchise history, Matt Ryan is moving on from the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta traded Ryan on Monday to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2022 third-round draft pick, the team announced.

The Falcons moved quickly to add Ryan's possible successor, agreeing to a two-year contract with quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is familiar with coach Arthur Smith's offensive scheme from their time together with the Tennessee Titans. Smith and Mariota worked together in multiple capacities in the five years they were together with the Titans, including Mariota's six games as a starter during the 2019 season. That was Smith's first year as the Titans' offensive coordinator.

The Colts were desperate for a quarterback after they traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders for third-round picks in 2022 and 2023. Ryan will be the Colts' seventh different Week 1 starter in as many years and the fifth different starting quarterback in coach Frank Reich's tenure.

Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz averaged an identical 6.13 yards per dropback last season. Wentz had the edge in Total QBR, touchdowns and interceptions, while Ryan completed a higher percentage of his passes. Ryan's QBR was the lowest of his career.

The third-round pick the Colts are sending the Falcons for Ryan is their original third-rounder, No. 82 overall, not one of the picks they got from Washington for Wentz, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano.

The Colts have been looking for a long-term answer since Andrew Luck retired in August 2019. Ryan will be the second quarterback in the past three seasons at the tail end of his career whom the Colts have acquired. Veteran Philip Rivers retired at the end of the 2020