The Colts acquired Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons for a 2022 third-round pick. The 36-year old Ryan played 14 years for the Falcons after being the 1.03 pick of the 2008 NFL draft. The former NFL MVP leaves an Atlanta franchise in the start of a rebuilding year under new head coach Arthur Smith and goes to a more mature offense in the fifth season under Indy’s head coach Frank Reich.
Matt Ryan Career Stats
The Falcons still have second-year tight end Kyle Pitts, but are left with no quarterback, a middling backfield at best, a soft offensive line and Olamide Zaccheaus as their top wideout. That’s a rebuilding season that is starting from scratch.
The Colts benefit with the addition of Ryan who spent most of his career as a Top-10 quarterback and dipped lower in recent years only because of a lack of receivers or a supporting ground game. That’s nothing like what Ryan finds in Indianapolis where they enjoy an elite offensive line and the NFL’s current rusher leader in Jonathan Taylor. That alone immediately upgrades Ryan’s outlook for 2022.
The Colts’ depth chart is topped with Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal, and T.Y. Hilton though free-agent moves and rookie additions are expected to happen. Hilton is no lock to play this year and Pascal is a free-agent pending being resigned. Parris Campbell is a fourth-year speedster that has yet to translate into a starter. There is plenty of room for improvement from the receiving crew, and at least they’ll have a quarterback to help maximize the crew that starts the season.