Somehow, someway, Sam Ehlinger proves the doubters wrong.
That’s the beauty behind his story. Whether it be his relentless work ethic, the extra hours spent analyzing film, his competitive nature, the leadership and spark that he can instantly bring to a team, or any of his other impressive attributes. The point is simple: Ehlinger finds a way to get it done.
No stage ever appears too big for the former Texas quarterback.
He’s aware that he doesn’t have the strongest or most accurate arm, which caused him to slide to the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft. When the Indianapolis Colts selected Ehlinger, many NFL draft analysts projected his ceiling to be a backup quarterback at the professional level…at best.
When Ehlinger entered his first NFL training camp with the Colts, he was hoping to compete with Jacob Eason to become the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Carson Wentz.
Wentz suffered a foot injury early on in camp, after an already injury-plagued career, and suddenly the backup role became much more important. Now, Ehlinger is battling Eason to potentially receive meaningful snaps as a rookie. It’s unclear when Wentz will return to 100%.
After an impressive last week of practices, Ehlinger earned first-team reps in Indianapolis. Eason still seemingly has the edge, but the fact that the two young signal-callers are now splitting first-team reps is a positive sign for Ehlinger’s progress.
On Sunday, Ehlinger made his NFL debut in the Colts’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. After Eason started and played the first half, Ehlinger played the entirety of the second half. After a shaky start, the former Texas star was able to rebound and put together an impressive fourth quarter.
Granted, it was against third or fourth string backups and other rookie quarterbacks may not have received as much playing time as Ehlinger, but his performance is certainly worth noting. Of the rookie quarterbacks to throw at least 10 passes in their NFL debut, Ehlinger was one of the most accurate signal-callers in Week 1.
Most accurate rookie QBs in Preseason WK1 (10+ attempts)
1. Mac Jones, Patriots – 65%
2. Sam Ehlinger, Colts – 62%
3. Kellen Mond, Vikings – 57% pic.twitter.com/QvSdaBuczc
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 16, 2021
Due to Eason’s inconsistency throughout training camp, it presented a rare opportunity for Ehlinger to step up. His throws aren’t as flashy as Eason’s, but he manages to consistently get the job done one way or another.
As expected, Colts head coach Frank Reich stated that Ehlinger would receive the start in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. The rookie will need to have a very strong showing in order to claim the backup (or starting) role in Indianapolis.
In his NFL debut, Ehlinger was the team’s leading rusher with 30 yards and completed 10 of 15 passes for 155 yards.