The Matt Ryan Era is over before we even got to Halloween and the Sam Ehlinger trial run is officially a go.
Philip Rivers lasted only a season before retiring. I’m sure the Colts would have happily brought him back for another season but it still would have a short-term solution. The Carson Wentz tenure is already well documented as to why it only lasted one season. The Colts expected Matt Ryan to give them at least two years of stability at the position but the 2022 season has been largely a disaster to this point, with Ryan uncharacteristically being careless with the football, that the team had seen enough before we even got half price trick-or-treat candy at Kroger.
What happens to Matt Ryan going forward is anyone’s guess. He could still be traded before the league deadline, he could continue to be a part of the Colts and help offer advice to Sam Ehlinger, he could sit at home and collect his guaranteed money the Colts still owe him or he could get released and find a new landing spot elsewhere. Regardless of what happens with Ryan, the Colts decision to pull the plug on the veteran QB experience is not only refreshing but needed.
This team has been in need of a reset for awhile now and the annual veteran QB pilgrimage to Indianapolis had reached it’s breaking point. It kept giving those in charge of the organization a false sense of where the team truly was in the grand scheme of the NFL totem pole. With the bold move to go with Sam Ehlinger, the Colts are at least going to do a 10-game trial run with a 24-year old quarterback and see what they’ve got in him. You’ll see if the kid can play with the big boys and possibly offer an answer at quarterback or at the very least prove if he’s a solid backup option.
On Tuesday’s edition of Kevin & Query, the guys discussed the seismic shift in the Colts way of thinking: what it means for Sam Ehlinger, what it means for Matt Ryan and what it (hopefully) means for the franchise going forward. To hear the debate, click the link below and be sure to listen to Kevin & Query every weekday morning from 7-10 on 93.5 & 107.5 The Fan!
