The Falcons have been toying with the idea of finding Matt Ryan’s replacement for at least a few years. Those internal considerations did not lead to a whole lot. Atlanta ended up with the likes of Josh Rosen, Feleipe Franks, A.J. McCarron, and Matt Schaub in that time period. In summary, there is no heir apparent or even heir unapparent to eventually replace the almost 37-year-old passer.
Whether or not the Falcons do replace Ryan, or find the first potential replacement that didn’t cost them the veteran minimum, will be a discussion up until the draft. Even if no rookie could or should play behind the team’s atrocious line, certain players could ride the bench for one (or more) seasons.