This is the Athletic Football Show.

Welcome to the Athletic Football Show.

I'm Robert Mays, very excited about today's show.

The second edition of our

offseason interview series, Matt Ryan obviously had a fascinating point in his career. New head coach,

an offensive system that he's gotten used to. Kyle Pitts is in Atlanta now. We touched on all

of that. Very excited about our conversation. Let's get to it. I am thrilled now to welcome

Atlanta Falcons quarterback NFL MVP. Matt Ryan. Matt, how you doing, man? I'm doing good.

Thanks for having me on. I am so excited to do this. This is our second one in this series. I definitely

wanted to have you on. I've enjoyed talking to you in the past about various stuff.

I figured we'd have a good conversation. First things first, though, yesterday was your birthday.

Happy birthday. 36. Did you guys do anything fun?

I was low-key, you know? I feel like your birthdays in the 30s are a little more low-key than the

ones in the 20s, but I had a good day with my family,

and it was a lot of fun. So it was a nice birthday. You've got two little ones now, right?

I do. I've got twin boys that are three. And so I think they were more excited for the balloons

and the cake and all that stuff than anybody else who was a lot of fun.

You're a couple of years ahead of me. I turned 34 in August. And I agree. The birthdays in the 30 is just a little bit different. And it's crazy to me that they all kind of run together.

Yeah, exactly. They don't have a matter anymore. But it's crazy to me that we're around the same age because you've been a part of my football life for so long. I remember watching that 2008 draft. I was living in London. I was studying abroad. I was 20 years old. And the fact that a decade and a half has gone by is kind of hard to believe. And I'm sure you feel the same way. That was right around when I was also going to Boston College a little bit and staying in the mods a couple different times, which I'm sure you know that's, I had a very good time back in the day. We've both come a long way since the mods and the couches at the box and the cage. That's exactly right. Oh, God. And it was couch living at the mods. So I wanted to ask you this because since that time, since 2008, where, you know, you're in year 14.

And with the draft kind of in the rear view mirror here, how different do you think it would be for you, the process of playing as a young quarterback in today's NFL with your skill set than it was in 2008.

Because you really kind of started a trend, you and Joe Flacco that year, of guys that could play right away.

And I think that really pushed on that idea.

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