Matt Ryan and Other QBs Who Almost Played For Different NFL Teams

Dec 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) changes the play during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Falcons defeated the Panthers 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

The landscape of the NFL is so fragile. Sometimes one decision can alter its course dramatically. Nowhere more so than at the quarterback position.

Fans don’t really understand how close some of the biggest names in league history came to playing for another franchise and not the one they became famous with. Some of these close calls actually came down to a last-second decision. Including one man who’s about to take his crack at winning his first Super Bowl. Get a load of these close calls and try to imagine how different the NFL might’ve been.

Matt Ryan and the Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens were on the prowl for a quarterback in the 2008 draft. Word is they had eyes for Boston College standout Matt Ryan and were willing to trade their entire stash of picks that year to get him. They attempted to land the #2 pick in a trade with the Rams. Unfortunately the asking price just went too high and they begged off. Ryan fell to Atlanta at #3. Baltimore later traded back and wound up selecting Joe Flacco instead.

Aaron Rodgers and the San Francisco 49ers

He would eventually become the poster boy for the greatest 1st round draft plummet in NFL history. Before that though it looked like Aaron Rodgers was a lock for the #1 pick. He was the better passer between himself and Alex Smith and had a decisive edge in that he was a California native. The San Francisco 49ers were picking. It seemed like a slam dunk. Instead the 49ers went with Smith and Rodgers fell to the Green Bay Packers all the way at 24th overall.

Brett Favre and the Atlanta Falcons

It’s probably still the one trade in franchise history the Atlanta Falcons wish they could take back. They knew Brett Favre was a project when they drafted him in 1991, but his upside was enormous. His mix of athleticism and rocket right arm were so tantalizing. Given enough patience he could’ve become their starter. Instead they abandoned the project after one year, selling him off to Green Bay for a 1st round pick in 1992. He went to the Hall of Fame and won a Super Bowl. They lost the Super Bowl in 1998, right when he was at his MVP greatest.

Dan Marino and the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Rooney family has done so many great things while in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yet even they aren’t immune to mistakes. To this day they’ve tried to explain what when wrong in the 1983 draft when Dan Marino, a star quarterback out of Pittsburgh, fell into their lap in the 1st round. All signs indicated they should take him what with Terry Bradshaw aging. He was a hometown kid. It made perfect sense. Instead they went with a defensive tackle (Gabriel Rivera). Marino fell to Miami a few picks later and made them pay in the AFC championship the next year.

Joe Montana and the Chicago Bears

Bill Walsh is often credited for being the man who discovered the greatness of Joe Montana in San Francisco. The thing is he got a huge assist from the Chicago Bears. In 1979 they had planned to draft Montana in the 3rd round. They had his name written on the card and everything. Then at the last second their GM Jim Finks decided the team needed to find depth behind Walter Payton at running back (who was 25 at that point). Montana went to the 49ers who eventually defeated the Bears in the NFC championship twice during the 1980s.

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