The Colts will have a new face under center when they take on the Commanders in Week 8. Head coach Frank Reich announced on Monday that Sam Ehlinger will serve as the team’s starting quarterback in place of Matt Ryan. 
The move was first reported by Mike Chappell of Fox59. The fact that Ryan was announced to have a grade 2 shoulder sprain (which, Reich confirmed, will keep him from practicing or playing this week), led to initial speculation that the switch would be temporary. However, as Reich explained, the QB swap is meant to be permanent moving forward.
“Right now the move is for Sam to be the starter for the rest of the season,” Reich said, confirming that the change would have been made even if Ryan had been healthy. The latter was acquired this offseason in a trade with the Falcons; that deal cost the Colts a third-round pick, and represented the latest in a long line of moves aimed at providing the team with its first long-term Andrew Luck replacement.
Even at the age of 37, Indianapolis’ front office viewed Ryan as just that. The longtime Falcons starter is under contract for one more season after this. He is due a 2023 base salary of $21.7MM – more than half of which is guaranteed – and has a scheduled cap hit of $35.2MM. The Colts would see just over $17MM in cap savings by releasing the former league MVP this offseason.
Such a decision would not have seemed possible heading into the campaign, but his struggles have been at the forefront of the team’s underwhelming offense. Ryan leads the league in interceptions (nine), fumbles (11, three of which have been lost) and sacks taken (24). Overall, the team ranks sixth in the league in passing, but 29th in scoring at an average of 16.1 points per game.
The decision also sheds light on the move the Colts made earlier this month, elevating Ehlinger to the backup role. Doing so relegated veteran Nick Foles to being inactive, despite Reich commenting on his multi-year desire to sign the former Eagles Super Bowl winner. With Ryan unavailable in Week 8, at a minimum, Foles will serve as the backup on Sunday.
A 2021 sixth-round pick, Ehlinger has yet to attempt a regular season pass in the NFL. The Texas alum will make his league debut not against the injured Carson Wentz, whom the Colts traded away prior to Ryan’s acquisition, but Taylor Heinicke instead.
“It’s a big step but we think he’s ready,” Reich added of Ehlinger. “This guy’s special… Sam, he’s got that about him. He plays, he practices in a way [that] he’ll be ready.”
This was expected, at some point at least. I, like most of us I think, was absolutely shocked at how the Colts’ season has gone. It’s more shocking even when watching Ryan play. He doesn’t look like he’s playing as badly as he is production wise-ever play he seems to be under duress or a receiver isn’t open and he has to jump back and forth going through reads.
The question is how much better Ehlinger can execute the offense than Ryan with the same players. Ehlinger figures to be more mobile due to his age-Ryan can move better than expected in the pocket, but at 37, there is certainly a limit to his mobility. Perhaps Ehlinger can develop a better rapport with his receivers, but they will also need to be more consistent for the QB if Indy wants to climb out of the hole that it’s in.
The real question-well, two questions-is what happens next year with Ryan’s contract, and how this affects Reich’s reputation as a quarterback friendly coach. After three former first round pick franchise QBs in three consecutive years, Indy has had disappointing results. I still consider him a good coach, but how will future players and executives weigh Reich’s reputation versus his late results? That’s a question that we will have to see the answer to.
Let’s be real, you can’t fault the coach for rivers or Ryan’s performances as they were/are in the twilight of their careers. It’s not like rivers moved on to a new team and performed any better. And wentz has been toast since Foles won the SB. He flamed out in philly and was clearly mentally weak. The mvp start he had that one season was clearly an an outlier. He sucked in Indy and is still sucking in Washington. I’m not saying reich is a great coach, just that those qb situations aren’t his fault
I don’t think that any of that is Reich’s fault. I think people will still blame him for it. I also think we as football fans are obsessed with finding out “who to blame” for every bad performance instead of considering the situation as a whole.
How is nothing Reich’s fault. His record vs the Titans started with an overtime loss when he went for it on 5th down at about his own 30. Tennessee kicked their winning FG seconds later. First he claimed Brissett would be great, even though he took over just 2 years earlier during Luck’s shoulder surgery year & took the team to a terrible 4-12 record. Next he recommended Rivers, knowing that would only last a year or two. Followed that up with begging for Wentz, & we know how that went.
Reich is no QB guru, nor is he a play calling genius. He’s predictable as his formations nearly always give the play away. We never start a game or a season we’ll with Reich, Mr.Comeback because he falls behind every game. He should have left with Wentz, now we are a mess & Ballard will probably lose his job too. We could have had Mike Vrable as coach if Ballard hadn’t had his naive infatuation with McDaniels, who predictably at the bequest of Robert Kraft, changed his mind.
Correction, 4th down.
I don’t think that you can blame Reich for quarterbacks aging. Reich has questions, sure, but some of it is injury or age related for his QBs. A lot isn’t.
You were really shocked that a 37 year old QB can’t play anymore? Before Sunday, tons of articles from Irsay “Matt is up there w/ Peyton for leadership…..’. Really?
Tom’s steroids finally faded by 45. Not the same for Brees, Rodgers, Ben, Russ, and Matt. Mid to late 30’s players are done, on the field.
Did you really just state that Brady is on roids?
Have you ever seen any other mid 40 player in any pro contact sport be a full time starter? NBA, Mike, Kobe, Bird, Magic, Shaq. All retired well before their 40’s. Same for MLB and all other pro sports. NHL guys retire well before then as well.
Tom was just ‘blessed’ to be so successful? Sure I believe that.
You don’t see many futbolistas playing into their 40’s either, regardless of club.
Thank you.
Nolan Ryan says hi
Didn’t Gordie Howe play on a team with his sons?
Lol
what!?!? this came out of nowhere, who is sam ehlinger???
Good luck Sam!
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving POS franchise (except maybe Ravens). I’m glad they suck again.
Reported on the 15th (9 days ago) on this site:
“Ehlinger is not viewed as a threat to Ryan”
How the table turns…
I feel that the panthers get a lot of criticism for the way they’ve handled the QB position since Newton left, but honestly, what the colts have done since Luck left seems worst. They have given up higher draft capital and more cap space for essentially the same results.. no playoff success.
I miss Jim Mora…link to youtube.com
Loved Jim. My personal favorite rant of his was the “We sucked. We didn’t do diddly poo” rant.
So the NFL HOF class of 2027:
Tom Brady
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Ryan
Julio Jones
JJ Watt
Fletcher Cox
Calis Campbell (?)
Personal opinion, without looking up stats: Brady Rodgers and probably Watt all get in their first years.
Ryan and Jones should get in but not first year.
Cox and Campbell are Hall of Very Good only
It will be a travesty of a mockery of a sham if Larry Fitzgerald isn’t inducted his first year. Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore should go in before either Cox or Campbell.
Why do people always say this? Is the hall of FAME not the hall of great.
This is Reich trying to shift blame and save his job. However, I’m not saying Ryan is blameless but Reichs offense would have taken a step back even with Rodgers under center (not as bad just making a point) Reich and the front office refused to get a legit #2 or even better another #1 receiver to pair with Pittman (Pierce is pretty good so far so maybe there’s something there). Their tightends are average (but to be fair this year that position is weak). The line has folded causing Ryan to have flashbacks to Atlanta like a ‘nam vet at a fireworks show. Not to mention the awful play calling. I honestly think with Wentz still under center this team would be winless.
As for Ryan he went in expecting a clean pocket to operate and instead is getting lit up like a Christmas tree. I was serious about the flashbacks, it’s shell shock, PTSD. I want to make excuses for him because I was always a fan of Matty Ice but some of this is on 100% him especially the fumbling. But he’s also not the only or even the main problem. The whole offense is a disaster and he’ll be starting again within two weeks.
Those of you who don’t think Reich is too blame at all; Reich suggested Rivers whom he & Siriani both work with at San Diego , knowing he was 1 year, maybe 2. Reich also talked both Irsay & Ballard into Wentz, saying he could return him to his MVP level. How Reich survived that is miraculous. I think Ryan is on Ballard, but Reich has constantly talked him up, including today as he was benched.
Why do we trail at every halftime? Aren’t the first like 18-20 plays scripted? Vrable outcoaches Reich every time they meet, as did 2 interim coaches the last 2 games last year & several first year coaches this year. Reich is no WB guru, forget that. He also calls all the plays & has his staff set up so there’s really no one else who has any experience doing so. That’s also why he’ll last through the end of the year, but about 5 minutes after the last game he’ll be gone; Ballard may be as well for failure to address certain critical needs, although he has drafted fairly well. You can’t win without a QB.
Will the real Colts team please stand up? Even the gambling houses are having a tough time figuring this team out.