During Matt Ryan 's 13 seasons as the starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons , nobody gave him more trouble than New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan . The two NFC South rivals faced off twice per year from 2011-2021 and there were some memorable matchups.
Jordan frequently harassed Ryan in the pocket, recording an NFL-record 23 sacks against the former Falcons quarterback. This total accounts for nearly 20 percent of Jordan's 121.5 career sacks.
Despite his historic success against the Falcons, Jordan didn't necessarily enjoy sacking Ryan as much as other quarterbacks. During a recent appearance on Julian Edelman 's " Games With Names " podcast, Jordan explained why he preferred to sack Panthers QB Cam Newton .
"Because Matt is like the consummate pro, so he doesn't show you emotion," said Jordan. "He like gets up and you know -- he's from Boston College so he really wasn't supposed to be in the league anyway -- he gets frustrated and then he goes about his business."
Ryan's humble nature made him a less satisfying target to take down. Jordan explained that Newton's brash nature made him more fun to sack.
"Cam starts off the warmup pre-games on the opposite team's side," said Jordan. "The big 'look at me I'm bout to ruin y'all' and he can ruin you."
Watch Jordan discuss sacking Ryan, Julio Jones and the Falcons-Saints rivalry below, via the " Games With Names " podcast.
The Falcons took a few years to find their next franchise quarterback after trading Matt Ryan away in 2022. Marcus Mariota replaced Ryan the following season but only lasted 15 games.
Next up was former third-round pick Desmond Ridder , who was named the starting quarterback to start the 2023 season. Ridder struggled and was replaced by Taylor Heinicke multiple times during the year.
Then in 2024, the Falcons signed free agent Kirk Cousins before trading away Ridder and Heinicke. One month after signing Cousins, the team shocked the NFL by drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick.
Cousins got off to a promising start but his lack of arm strength and poor decision-making led to Atlanta benching him for Penix. The rookie impressed over the final three games of the season and will enter 2025 as the unquestioned starter.
Check out our Falcons defensive coordinator tracker to stay up with the latest interview updates.
VOTE: Who should the Falcons hire for defensive coordinator opening?
Falcons special teams coordinator to coach East-West Shrine Bowl
Falcons interview Jeff Ulbrich for defensive coordinator opening
Steve Wilks to interview for Falcons defensive coordinator opening
Arthur Smith interviewed by Chicago Bears for head coach vacancy
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Cameron Jordan explains why he didn't enjoy sacking Matt Ryan
