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A few months ago, TMZ found Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones at an airport and got his thoughts on Matt Ryan. Of course, Jones defended his quarterback. Well, TMZ is apparently still trying to find a wide receiver who will say Ryan needs to be replaced, but they were unable to with Roddy White.
“That’s crazy because at this point in his career, he owns every record for a quarterback up to this point, which is ridiculous,” Roddy White said. “Passing yards, completion percentage – all that stuff. So, for people to say that man, that’s just crazy to me. You know, move on for what? What are you going to move on to?”
Ryan is 34-years old and in the middle of a 5-year, $150 million contract. They really haven’t tried to groom anyone beyond Ryan, except for perhaps Sean Renfree and currently Kurt Benkert and Danny Etling. But realistically, it takes time to replace a franchise quarterback, and the Falcons aren’t keen to replace one still playing at a high level.
“You know, somebody who is going to take years to develop, and then you’re going to spend more money and then you gotta see, at some point, if this guy even develops and now you have to pay him again,” White said. “We don’t have time for that man, we’re trying to win Super Bowls. We gonna win with what we got, we’re straight.”
White’s last season with the Falcons and ultimately in his great NFL career came in 2015. He’s in great shape and was asked if he would consider playing in the XFL one day.
“I think it’s a good product,” White said. “I think the interviews on the sidelines with the players are amazing. I think it’s going to really catch on, like spring football. I think they’re going to have a lot of success. I think they need to add one or two more teams to it. But as far as me, no. I’m just chillin, man. I got kids to raise and family things to do, man. I ain’t playing no more football.”
Although most of White’s franchise records have or likely will be broken by his protégé, Julio Jones, White still loves this team. White was drafted by the Falcons in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft and put up 10,863 yards and had 63 receiving touchdowns over his 11-year career with the Falcons. White also helped ease Julio Jones’ transition from college to the NFL with his leadership, and the Falcons are still enjoying the benefits of that today. In 2019, the All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler was inducted into the prestigious Falcons Ring of Honor.