There are some high expectations for the Indianapolis Colts this season, and it looks like the organization’s front office and coaching staff have been blown away by their new starting quarterback Matt Ryan. The man tasked with getting the team back to the playoffs in 2022.
After an impressive 11-5 finish in head coach Frank Reich’s third season two years ago, the Colts took a disappointing step back in 2021 as they finished 9-8 and fell short of a playoff birth. While he wasn’t the entire reason for their inconsistent play, Carson Wentz became the public scapegoat for their performance and it’s why he was traded early on in the offseason.
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The Colts decided to move Wentz despite no clear plan on who would eventually replace him. However, the franchise lucked out and was able to acquire former league MVP, Matt Ryan, from a Falcons organization in the midst of a complete rebuild.
Matt Ryan bringing winning ‘urgency’ to Indianapolis Colts locker room
Without a doubt, at 37 Ryan is well past his prime and his recent statistics have proven as much. However, he is still a productive NFL QB and there are hopes he can improve on a major weakness for Indy last year. And based on a new report from ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano on a Tuesday morning edition of Sportscenter, the Colts couldn’t be any happier with Ryan and what he has brought to their locker room this summer.
“They’ve been very thrilled with Matt Ryan so far in Indy. I had a chance to talk with their general manager Chris Ballard on Saturday when I was at their camp. He said the thing about Matt Ryan is the urgency. No one in this league knows what it’s like to get this close to a title and not quite get there. So he has that urgency and makes sure that everybody else on the team has it as well.
“I’m hearing a lot of the same things from the Colts that I heard two years ago when they had Philip Rivers in the building at quarterback. About veteran leadership, about love for the game, and how that spreads throughout the building.”
Graziano report on Matt Ryan in Indianapolis
The Rivers comparison is important because he was the man under center in that 11-5 season two years ago. The Colts begin their preseason schedule on Saturday, Aug. 13, against the Buffalo Bills.