An NFL executive believes Matt Ryan is about to have a swift decline
At least one NFL executive believes the Indianapolis Colts will soon regret acquiring veteran quarterback Matt Ryan.
Earlier in the offseason, the Indianapolis Colts sent a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons to acquire veteran quarterback Matt Ryan.
This was a move that needed to be made. Indy needed a quarterback and Ryan was ready for a new location. Many experts and players throughout the NFL world felt this was a great move that will help Indianapolis compete.
However, that belief is not unanimous. There’s a small minority of people who aren’t fond of this move. One of those people is an unnamed NFL executive that told Mike Sando of The Athletic, “I think age has caught Matt Ryan.”
Matt Ryan still has some juice in his arm. Wouldn’t be a Philip Rivers situation. #Colts pic.twitter.com/Zbw5kEzOvY
— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) March 18, 2022
Should Colts worry about huge drop off from Matt Ryan?
This executive went on to say, “Matt has had a phenomenal career…but it wasn’t like he was super big athletic or had a super strong arm. I see the skills declining a little bit quicker for him as a result.”
The executive also said it wouldn’t be surprising if Indianapolis moved on after one unsuccessful season as they did with Carson Wentz.
Matt Ryan’s age is no secret to the Colts or anyone who thought this was a good move. He’ll be 37 in May and will be entering his 15th season when the NFL year kicks off.
Indy may agree with the executive that Ryan isn’t what he once was, but the team certainly disagrees that he will underwhelm at quarterback over the next two years.
Last season, Ryan completed 67% of his passes for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. That was his first season under 4,000 yards since 2010.
Even if Ryan isn’t the quarterback that won MVP in 2016, he has still shown the ability to play football at a solid level. Now, he’ll be playing with one of the better rosters he’s been a part of in recent years.
The Colts still have to work on getting Ryan some pass-catchers and that will likely happen in the Draft. With Indy’s defense and run game, Ryan should still be able to help contribute to wins and counter the notion that he’s rapidly declining.
