Who Should I Start? Matt Ryan or Kirk Cousins

Monday, April 22, 2:31 PM

Quarterback Matt Ryan officially announced his retirement from professional football on Monday as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, the team that drafted him third overall in 2008 out of Boston College. Ryan spent 14 of his 15 NFL seasons in Atlanta, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 and an MVP award in 2016. In his lone trip to the Super Bowl in the same season he won his MVP award, the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead at halftime to lose to the New England Patriots. He made just 12 starts for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and threw for 3,057 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 38-year-old four-time Pro Bowler ends his career as Atlanta's all-time leader in passing yards (59,735) and passing touchdowns (367). Ryan ranks seventh all-time in passing yards (62,792) and ninth in TD passes (381) as a future Hall of Famer.

Saturday, December 6, 11:42 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 234 yards and one touchdown in last week's 27-24 loss to the Jets, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers, each with at least two targets apiece. The veteran QB now has an unremarkable 3:1 TD:INT in three starts this season, and heads into a tough matchup in Week 14 against the Seahawks. Seattle's defense has yielded just 152.7 yards per game passing over their last three contests (sixth-fewest) and is middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs. The game will be played indoors in Atlanta, but with the Falcons missing their top receiver, Drake London (knee), and with an implied team total of just 19 points, they are not expected to find the end zone frequently. It all points to Cousins being a very low-end QB2 for Sunday's showdown.