The NFL’s quarterback carousel keeps spinning at a fast and furious pace, faster even than that movie franchise can put out yet another sequel. The latest spin sees longtime Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
Atlanta dealt Ryan, 36 and the Falcons’ starting QB since 2008, to the Colts for a third-round pick. In the process, the Falcons absorbed the largest dead salary cap hit in NFL history. The Falcons quickly signed free agent Marcus Mariota, who has a nice history with head coach Arthur Smith from their days with the Titans.
It’s the latest blockbuster NFL trade involving quarterbacks, a trend the Lions ignited with the Matthew Stafford/Jared Goff deal a little over a year ago. In this offseason, the Seahawks have traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos, the Texans shipped Deshaun Watson to Cleveland and the Colts sent out Carson Wentz to Washington.
The Lions won’t miss seeing Ryan. He went 5-2 in seven starts against Detroit, including his first NFL game where he beat up Rod Marinelli’s hapless Lions to kick off the 2008 season. The Lions do not play the Colts (or the Falcons) in 2022.