The Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback carousel continues to spin. This time, it’s Matt Ryan who’s been ejected from the ride. Stepping up in his place is second-year veteran — and former sixth-round draft pick — Sam Ehlinger.
Ryan’s demotion is officially the result of a shoulder sprain, but to believe his job is secure when fully healthy would be folly. The former NFL MVP has been mostly unable to reclaim the glory of his mid-2010s run with the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan needed 44 passes to throw for 243 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans and threw a pair of first half interceptions — including a pick-six that led to an early 10-0 deficit.
Ryan’s quarterback rating, interception rate and adjusted yards per attempt are all as bad as they’ve been since 2009. His arm strength is waning and he’s in real danger of sliding into late-stage Drew Brees/Ben Roethlisberger territory thanks to his inability to create plays downfield. His 5.7 air yards per throw is a career low by a significant margin and ranks dead last in the NFL.
Ehlinger’s promotion suggests 2023 will mark the seventh straight year where the previous season’s opening day starter doesn’t return for Week 1 the following September. Since 2019, the Colts have turned to these starting quarterbacks en route to a 30-25-1 regular season record and zero playoff wins:
- Jacoby Brissett
- Brian Hoyer
- Philip Rivers
- Carson Wentz
- Ryan
- and now Ehlinger
Bad! So who will be the next man up in a rotation of hopeful plug-and-play candidates general manager Chris Ballard hopes can mesh with a dynamic rushing attack and a village-razing defense and lead his team to glory? There are a few obvious candidates.