ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- They almost never met. So Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford can thank four other NFL quarterbacks for getting their friendship started.
The Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions starting quarterbacks were not initial picks to the 2015 Pro Bowl. When Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady pulled out, Stafford and Ryan earned selections. They became teammates and, within a week, friends.
Before the Pro Bowl, they would say "Hey" to each other after games, but that was it.