Could Matt Ryan find himself on the bench if the Colts keep struggling?

Matt Ryan seemed like a promising fit to lead the Indianapolis Colts but he’s not living up to the hype. Could a quarterback change be possible?

The Indianapolis Colts have once again opened up a season in which the offense seems to be in shambles. Inconsistencies in play have resulted in back-to-back underwhelming performances from a Colts team returning seven pro-bowlers from a season ago. A Week 1 tie with the Houston Texans followed by yet another embarrassing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Duval.

Rewind a few months ago, prior to the NFL offseason, the Indianapolis Colts’ Owner and CEO felt sure that a quarterback change was prominently necessary. This instinct lead to the trade of Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders after a career bounce-back 2021 season in Indy. Wentz compiled 3,563 pass yards on a 62.4 completion percentage with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions with a 94.1 passer rating.

Reuniting the quarterback with Indy’s head coach, Frank Reich, seemed like a storybook fairytale in its own sense. However, the season ended in a disaster form as the Colts were eliminated from playoff contention to the same Jaguars that have had Indy’s number in Jacksonville since 2014.

After the Wentz trade, the Colts needed to figure out an answer for the near future in order to retain the idea of compiling a competitive roster. Enter 2016 MVP Matt Ryan, whom Indianapolis added from the Atlanta Falcons via trade of a third-round draft pick in 2022.

Finally, the Colts have a mature leader and new face at the position for the fifth consecutive year. A quarterback with poise and history of career accomplishments comparable to other NFL legends in line for Hall of Fame conversations. This was showcased in training camp as teammates noted Ryan’s passing accuracy, and as Reich underlined the control of the offense Ryan had in such a short time with the team.

Two games into the season, however, none of that has come forth. Almost as if Indy’s front office, NFL media, and fans, were all fooled by the years of accumulated stats from a QB on an inconsistent Falcons team. Early into the 2022 season, it seems the Colts have been bamboozled.

Are the Colts struggling because of Matt Ryan?

When any player enters into a new system there are typically a string of growing pains along the way. Pains you’d expect from younger players that have signed new deals on new teams, but not the kind you’d expect from a 15-year NFL veteran.

Thus far, Matt Ryan has completed 48-of-80 passes, a 60% completion rate, for 547 Pass yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and a QBR of 31.3. In Week 2 against Jacksonville, his QBR was 6.3. That’s Ryan’s worst game since 2012 and the first throwing less than 200 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also taken a total of seven sacks in two games behind what was once a top-tier offensive line.

The struggles seem to get worse by the week, something the Colts simply cannot afford to keep taking. It may be time for a change at quarterback if Ryan continues on this path of absolute disaster, much worse than what they fielded a season ago.

Who could replace Matt Ryan for the Colts?

Currently, the Colts are carrying the quarterbacks on the roster. NFL journeyman and Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles, and second-year QB, preseason superstar, Sam Ehlinger.

Foles has obvious ties to Frank Reich through their Super Bowl-winning season in Philadelphia, but he didn’t exactly perform well in preseason action. On the other hand, the only QB on the roster who has looked poised and in control of the offense when given field time is Sam Ehlinger. He had the hot hand in the preseason and could be the answer moving forward as the quarterback of the future.

If the Colts and Matt Ryan continue to suffer at the hands of an obvious downgrade at quarterback, a change should be imminent. What better opportunity to figure out the direction of the future than taking the training wheels off a potential franchise player in Sam Ehlinger.

Despite Sunday’s “pathetic” loss, Frank Reich is confident the Colts are close to where they need to be

The Indianapolis Colts had an embarrassing loss on Sunday that evoked frustration and panic from fans. However, Frank Reich isn’t too worried.