DECEMBER 23: Ryan will be demoted from starter to third-stringer, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder tweets, noting coaching staff meetings led to this two-spot depth chart drop. The bubble-wrap scenario in which Ryan is sidelined to protect against an injury that would affect the Colts’ 2023 cap sheet appears back in play, with The Athletic’s Zak Keefer adding Ryan is unlikely to play again this season (Twitter link). Saturday did not let this previously rumored plan come to pass in November, reinstating Ryan as the starter over Ehlinger, but it looks like the Colts — after four straight losses — will protect against a Ryan injury now.
DECEMBER 21: For a second straight year, Nick Foles will make his first start of the season in Week 16. A year after a Bears one-off, the former Super Bowl MVP will move into the Colts’ starting lineup.
Jeff Saturday announced Wednesday that Foles will take the reins in the team’s Monday-night matchup against the Chargers. This will be Foles’ first start since that December 2021 cameo against the Seahawks. Following Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger, Foles will be Indianapolis’ third starting QB this season, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets the plan is for the 11th-year veteran to finish the campaign as Indy’s starter. This will be the sixth team for which Foles has started, following points with the Eagles, Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars and Bears.
The Colts acquired Foles, 33, this offseason, shortly after the Bears released him. Despite his status as the Super Bowl LII MVP who also helped the Eagles to the following year’s divisional round, Foles has not been able to establish himself as a starter in the years since. He lost his job to Gardner Minshew during the 2019 season, after signing a lucrative free agency deal with the Jaguars, and did not keep the Bears gig — which he commandeered from Mitch Trubisky early in the 2020 season — during the team’s push to the playoffs that season. After the Bears signed Andy Dalton and drafted Justin Fields, Foles drifted off the radar and spent most of last season as a QB3.
Frank Reich indicating he had wanted the Colts to acquire Foles for years, but the 6-foot-6 passer has largely gone through another off-radar slate. Foles worked as Ryan’s backup to start the season, but as Jim Irsay backed Ehlinger, the second-year arm replaced Foles as Ryan’s backup. When the Colts pulled the plug on Ryan earlier this year, Ehligner got the call. Reich was not believed to be on board with an Ehlinger start, having preferred to go with Foles in the event of a Ryan benching. With both Ryan and Ehlinger having struggled, Saturday will turn to Foles.
It is difficult to project Foles’ capabilities here. He signed a two-year, $6.2MM deal to rejoin Reich, his former offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. The Colts fired Reich last month and installed assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier as their new play-caller. Foles has not taken any first-team Colts reps since training camp and has made one start since Trubisky regained the Bears job in November 2020. Foles’ start last December did go fairly well. The Bears upset the Seahawks, and despite making a start for the first time in over a year and doing so for a downtrodden team in a snow game, Foles completed 24 of 35 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown.
This could be it for Ryan with the Colts. Saturday gave the 15th-year veteran his job back upon taking the interim HC position, and although the offseason trade acquisition led the Colts to a win over the Raiders, the team has lost four straight — including a historic defeat in Minnesota. Indianapolis blowing an NFL-record 33-point lead in an overtime loss could well be Ryan’s final NFL start. He is signed through 2023, but the Colts should not be expected to keep the former MVP for his age-38 season. Ryan is due a guaranteed $12MM in 2023 but could collect $7.2MM more if he is unable to pass a physical by Day 3 of the league year. It should be expected Ryan will be off Indy’s roster by that point.
Because, why not?
Can he get a first down? It a pretty low bar after last week
It was 33-0 at one point tho
Rearrange those deck chairs, baby.
LET NICK COOK
Microwave or Door Dash maybe.
I wear my green Foles jersey every game day.
GO BIRDS
The Broncos would likely have a better record and a brighter future had they signed Foles instead of Wilson.
I guess when your starting quarterback was on the short end of the two most embarrassing comebacks of all time, you have to do something…
Warren Moon was the QB when the Oilers blew a 32 point lead to Buffalo in a 1992 wild card game. Not sure what you’re referring to.
Yeah, but that wasn’t the Super Bowl…
Ryan should have been left in Minneapolis.
And the defense??
Really its ryans fault put up 33 in a half and its fault no saturday u idiot its your defense fault..gtfo…
Dudes, the offense scored 10 points the entire game. There was a ST & def TD, & the other 4 FG’s were short field situations from, failed fake punt, turn over on downs from their own 30, fumble, & shanked punt. Anyway, the offense didn’t convert any of these opportunities into TD’s so they don’t get credit with even the 3 points. All in all, Ryan & the offense were their usual inept bunch.
I hope Nicky 6 comes in and kills it.. love that guy
Colts have sucked since Jim Irsay ran #18 out of town. Luck got beat up so bad he had to retire young while he could still think. Reich got a raw deal from the owner.
It won’t matter if it’s Foles, Ryan or Ehrlinger.
Wish he would sell the team to reputable group.
Magnolia – so, 3 straight 11-5 teams in Luck’s first 3 years don’t count? With Luck & Rivers 1 year each, playoffs; but with Reich’s hand picked QB’s, not so much. His play calling was awful, unless Luck or Rivers were audible-ing into working plays. Reich got worse when Siriani left; though he called the plays before & after. Siriani must have been more creative in developing plays & formations. Reich had to go, in fact…it’s Saturday that is getting the raw deal because they’re still using Reich’s vanilla offensive plays.
Is this Jim Irsay???
@dcahen I think you missed the part where @magnoiabuck put the blame on Luck’s concussion issues on Irsay for not getting o-line help for Luck to protect him from getting hit. Dude had no protection the last few years of his career. Kinda sucks too considering how good Luck was. I actually do agree that Reich got the raw end of the deal considering Irsay decided to override Reich’s decisions and cheaped out on making improvements on the team. Remember how good JT was last year? Hmmm, pretty sure Reich was the coach then. What help did they get JT this past offseason?
Remember when Nick Foles came out of college as the Next Big Thing?
No
Remember when everyone gave up on Foles and he won Philly the super bowl? And was the MVP of the super bowl?
Dcahan- if I remember right Colts didn’t win division either time and lost in playoffs. One and done. It was your buffoon owner who told Reich to start Ehringler. Anyway, no one seen Ryan deteriorating this fast and for the salary. Need to cut him loose and maybe load up 1st round picks with quality starters and trade for Lamar. Then Colts will be set at QB for a decade instead of reaching and hoping they find gold. Start a petition to get rid of Irsay too.
Magnolia – sorry, check things out before you start with “If I remember right…”. You remembered wrong. Reich’s one year with Luck, they beat Tennessee handily in the last game of the season to win a WC spot, the Texans won the division. The next week they played the Texans in Houston & dominated them, before losing to the eventual SB champ Chiefs, in Mahomes breakout, MVP year. As for Lamar, they will be set for a decade with an injury prone run first QB who if healthy will never lead a team to the SB. Sorry, that would be a suicidal move.
Dcahan- That’s right they have won a playoff game since #18 was shown the door. BFD. My disgust is with the owner and the need for a long term answer at QB.
Lamar will probably be available for the right price and he is a generational talent. With the right team and coaching, a Super Bowl is likely. Don’t think that will happen with the Ravens though. The days of a Dilfer at QB winning the SB are long past. Colts need a stud, not a retread. Lamar and Taylor could combine for over 3000 yards themselves on the ground. Don’t dismiss it.
Yea right Jackson is gonna sign with the Colts!?! Haha keep dreaming
Irsay is getting close to the new “ Jerra” with all his clown moves and media whoring. Now all he needs to do is have “ Stevie , Daddy I want a team” son by his side. They don’t need a puppy dog coach they already have Saturday playing the role of McCarthy. All Irsay needs to do now is add a star at midfield and pick one on National TV
The Colts have next to nothing in the way of decent receivers and now no running back, thus it won’t matter who they start at QB.