Matt Ryan’s tenure as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback never really seemed to be on thin ice despite some early-season struggles with his new team.
Apparently, that changed for head coach Frank Reich and Co. after a brutal two-interception showing in a loss to the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday.
In shocking news, Ryan has reportedly been benched in favor of young quarterback Sam Ehlinger. According to Colts insider, MIke Chappell, Nick Foles will actually be QB2 for Indianapolis against the Washington Commanders in Week 8 — meaning Ryan himself won’t even be active. Indianapolis confirmed this news a short while later.
Ryan, 37, was acquired from the Atlanta Falcons back March after it became clear that his former team was looking to go in a different direction under center. The deal came together when Atlanta flirted with the idea of landing Deshaun Watson, only to lose out to the Cleveland Browns in for the former Houston Texans signal caller.
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Matt Ryan’s struggles and shocking decision to bench Super Bowl quarterback
“Right now the move is for Sam to be the starter for the rest of the season,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said on Monday after news of Ryan’s benching became public record, via the team’s official website.
The No. 3 overall pick of Atlanta in the 2008 NFL Draft, Ryan enjoyed a ton of success as the Falcons’ starter during his 14-year run with the team. That included winning the NFL MVP in 2016 en route to leading Atlanta to a Super Bowl appearance.
But it became clear early on this season that the veteran quarterback simply didn’t have it anymore. Even before his two-interception performance on Sunday, things were not trending in the right direction.
- Matt Ryan stats (2022): 68% completion, 2,008 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT, 84.7 QB rating
Indianapolis (3-3-1) will now turn to 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger to start for the remainder of the season. The former Texas star has not thrown a single regular-season pass in the NFL. It’s a tall order to lead a team that is in win-now mode despite an ugly start to the 2022 campaign.