Ok.

This should be one of the more interesting debates, though we think it won’t be discussed as much as it should be.

Why would this be? As good as he was, Matt Ryan rarely was in the public eye and never went mainstream like other great Quarterbacks. He quietly went about his business, was drama-free, and did his job well. Ryan is the greatest quarterback in Falcons history but is not even the most beloved or known today.

Statistically, Ryan has all the goods.  At the time of his retirement, he was in the top ten in Passing Yards (62,792), Completions (5,551) and Touchdown Passes (381) and was 14^th all-time in Approximate Value.  Even in this era of inflated pivot stats, these numbers are remarkable! 

Ryan also had the individual accolades.  Taken with the Third Overall Pick in 2008 from Boston College, Ryan won the AP Rookie of the Year Award, was a three-time Pro Bowler and was consistently in the top ten annually in significant passing statistics.  In 2016, Ryan was the consensus MVP, leading the NFL in the major passing categories and was the best Quarterback in the National Football League.  He took the Falcons to Atlanta to the Super Bowl, and they had a chance to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.  At halftime, they were up 28-3, and the legacy of Ryan looked complete, but the Pats overcame that deficit, and Atlanta was denied. 

Had Ryan won the Super Bowl with the Falcons, would we have a debate?  Quarterbacks are judged on how many rings they have, and Ryan has none.  If he falls short, that will be why.

At the University of Alabama, Mark Ingram was a superstar.  The Crimson Tide Running Back captured the coveted Heisman Trophy in 2009, and his school won the National Championship.  He did this as a sophomore, and while he regressed due to knee issues as a Junior, Ingram was still expected to be a high pick, which he was, when the Saints took him 28^th Overall in 2011.

While it could be argued that Mark Ingram was a disappointment on the NFL level, it is because he came in with the Heisman pedigree, and a look at his actual production shows a very good NFL Running Back.  Ingram did not see a lot of touches in his first three seasons, and his peak in that period was 631 Yards from Scrimmage in the 2012 campaign.  This wasn’t bad, but he had a lot more to offer.

In 2014, Ingram rushed for 964 Yards, and he was used more as a receiving option, which allowed him to have 1,109 Yards from Scrimmage. Ingram was named to the Pro Bowl, and over the next three seasons, he exceeded 1,100 YFS, with the latter two seasons (2016 & 2017) seeing the Running Back go over 1,000 Rushing Yards. Ingram again went to the Pro Bowl in 2017.

With the arrival of Alvin Kamara, Ingram saw fewer touches in 2018, and he left the team as a Free Agent in 2019 to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, though he returned in 2021.  After another season, Ingram retired, and although there have been higher-profile Running Backs in New Orleans history, Ingram once held the Saints franchise lead in Rushing Yards with 6,500.  Coincidentally, it was Kamara who would take it from him.

Overall, Ingram compiled an impressive 10,236 Yards From Scrimmage with 75 Touchdowns.

Lorenzo Cain started his Major League career with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it only lasted for 46 games as he was traded after the 2010 season to the Kansas City Royals. In Kansas City, Cain played mostly in the minors during his first two years, but he entered the 2013 season as the Royals' starting center fielder. Although it was not a great start for Cain as a starter, with 100 hits and losing his starting role to Jarrod Dyson, he came back strong in 2014 with 142 hits and a batting average of .301. That year, Kansas City made it to the World Series, with Cain winning the ALCS batting .533 with eight hits in a sweep over Baltimore.

Cain's best season came in 2015 when the Royals won the World Series Championship. The speedy outfielder was an All-Star for the first time and was third in MVP voting. Cain hit 16 home runs, his personal best, and batted .307 with a career-best .838 OPS. He continued to have good years, batting .300 in 2017 with 175 hits and was an All-Star in 2018 in his first season back in Milwaukee. Cain played a few more years and accumulated 1,220 hits over his career.

Kurt Suzuki's journey from being a standout player at Cal State Fullerton, leading them to consecutive College World Series victories, to making his debut for the Oakland Athletics in 2007 is a testament to his hard work and dedication. His time with the Athletics marked his peak in baseball, with his best seasons both offensively and defensively. From 2008 to 2010, he consistently delivered at least 120 Hits and a Defensive bWAR of 1.5.  Suzuki’s defensive work trailed off after, but he still had decent offensive years ahead of him.

Suzuki dealt with injuries over the rest of his career and bounced around the Majors after he was traded to Washington in 2012. He would later play in Oakland a second time, Minnesota, Atlanta, Washington, and the Los Angeles Angels. He had some significant highlights, making his only All-Star in 2014 as a Twin and winning a World Series Ring with Washington in 2019.

He retired with 1,421 Hits and 143 Home Runs over 16 Seasons.