Matt Ryan is still under contract with the Indianapolis Colts. General manager, Chris Ballard, recently spoke about the quarterback’s future in Indy.
Everyone has been talking about what the Indianapolis Colts will do at the quarterback position. Will they stick with the No. 4 pick and let a quarterback fall to them or will Indianapolis trade up to No. 1 and go get a quarterback. That remains to be seen but it’s clear Indy has turned its attention to the future for the quarterback position. However, the Colts have yet resolve their past.
More specifically, Indianapolis hasn’t decided what the team is going to do with veteran quarterback Matt Ryan and his contract. When Indianapolis traded for Ryan last offseason, he had two years remaining on his contract and a lot of money due. However, the Colts didn’t mind because they had high expectations for him and was hoping he could hang around for a few years. Unfortunately, Indianapolis underwhelmed as a team and Ryan had the worst season of his career.
Now, the Colts have to make a decision about what they will do with Matt Ryan, who has a $35 million cap hit in 2024, the final season of his contract. Recently, Indy’s general manager, Chris Ballard, admitted that the franchise hanst come to a decision yet.
Colts are unsure about what to do with Matt Ryan
When asked about the plan for Ryan, Nate Atkins of the IndyStar reported that Ballard said, “We'll work through it with Shane. We'll work through it. We're just getting the staff settled. We'll start working through things next week." That has been the theme all offseason whenever the team answers questions about Matt Ryan. Understandably so, though.
The Colts have had a lot on their plate this offseason. They had to hire a head coach, build a coaching staff, and now they are evaluating prospects. It makes sense that Ryan’s situation wasn’t a priority. However, it is something the team needs to get settled with free agency approaching. Surely Ryan would like some clarity about his future as well.
Could Indianapolis elect to keep Matt Ryan as a possible bridge quarterback or veteran backup for a rookie? Maybe, but that seems unlikely considering his high salary. It also seems unlikely that the Colts will find a trade partner. The most probable outcome is that Ryan is ultimately released by Indy.
From that point, Matt Ryan could do whatever he desires. Some have argued that he should just retire and transition into television, but Ryan said he still wants to play. There has also been speculation that he could reunite with his former coach, Kyle Shanahan. Whatever is next for Ryan, it’ll have to wait for the Colts to make a decision.
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