Khalil Mack wasn’t the only superstar to get his contract restructured today. The Falcons are tweaking Matt Ryan‘s deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Yates writes the Falcons created $7MM in cap space by converting $8.75M of Ryan’s base salary into a signing bonus. It’s a win-win for both sides, as Ryan will get more money upfront while the team will get to spread the cap charge out over the course of the rest of his contract. Ryan signed a massive five-year extension with the team last May.
The Falcons had previously had the least cap space in the entire league according to Overthecap.com’s estimations, so this was a desperately needed move. The Falcons have been pretty quiet this offseason, and the only moves they’ve made this month have been franchise-tagging defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and extending backup quarterback Matt Schaub.
The Falcons have more flexibility now, so it’s safe to assume they’re looking to add a piece or two. 2019 will be a critical year for Atlanta after they fired almost all of their assistants after last season. If they don’t progress in 2019, head coach Dan Quinn could find himself out of a job.