Colts To Start Matt Ryan In Week 10
Today marks the beginning of the Jeff Saturday era in Indianapolis, after a controversial and nearly unprecedented move to replace Frank Reich as head coach. Saturday’s first game in charge will see a familiar face under center. 
The Colts announced in advance of today’s contest that Matt Ryan will once again operate as the team’s starter. That decision comes after Saturday had announced earlier in the week that Sam Ehlinger would remain the No. 1, as he had for the past two weeks.
The 2021 sixth-rounder came in to replace an injured Ryan, though Reich insisted that the move was performance-related. The fact that it was Ehlinger, and not veteran Nick Foles who took over raised questions regarding whose decision it ultimately was to bench Ryan. It was later revealed that owner Jim Irsay – who was, of course, the central figure in naming Saturday as Reich’s replacement – drove the switch to Ehlinger for what was supposed to be the remainder of the season.
The Colts lost each of the Texas alum’s starts, including a 26-3 defeat to the Patriots last week. That marked the end of Reich’s four-plus-year tenure, but was not expected to produce a return to action for Ryan. The 37-year-old struggled mightily to begin his Colts tenure, one which the team initially stated they hoped would provide them with multi-year stability at the QB position. The longtime Falcon led the NFL in interceptions, fumbles and sacks allowed at the time he was benched, so it will be interesting to see how much of an improvement is made after time to heal and the installation of assistant QBs coach Park Frazier as offensvie play-caller.
Also of note in this situation is the notion that Ryan had playing-time incentives in his deal, and that it factored into the decision to replace him. Irsay recently rejected that, insisting that the many moves made within the organization in recent weeks have all been pointed at rescuing the team’s 3-5-1 season. Today’s contest against the Raiders will prove insightful with respect to Saturday’s and Ryan’s ability to accomplish that goal.
Colts Activate WR Ashton Dulin, Place LB Shaquille Leonard On IR
NOVEMBER 13: Leonard may miss the remainder of the season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 27-year-old ‘backer is scheduled to meet with renowned neck surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles on Monday, which will provide some clarity on his playing status.
NOVEMBER 12: The Colts are getting some reinforcement on offense and special teams. The team has activated wide receiver/special teams ace Ashton Dulin from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team officially placed linebacker Shaquille Leonard on IR. The Colts have also promoted tight end Nikola Kalinic and running back Jordan Wilkins from the practice squad.
Dulin suffered a foot injury back in October, landing him on injured reserve. He returned to practice earlier this week. The 25-year-old made a name for himself in 2021 after earning a second-team All-Pro nod on special teams, with his 17 ST tackles ranking second in the league. Dulin also started to see a larger role on offense in 2021, finishing with 13 catches for 173 yards and two scores. Dulin was continuing to see a role on offense in 2022, with the wideout hauling in 12 catches for 168 yards in five games (one start).
We learned yesterday that Leonard had suffered a setback with his back injury during practice this week. The injury will now knock him out for at least four games. The linebacker has been limited to only three games in 2022 thanks to a concussion, nose surgery, and back injury.
“I had no power in my leg, just trying to fight through that through the whole season and Wednesday practice, something didn’t feel right,” Leonard said on Instagram (via The Athletic’s James Boyd on Twitter). “I had a setback.”
Wilkins, a 2018 fifth-round pick by the Colts, has seen a reduced role in recent years following three consecutive 300-plus-yard seasons to begin his career. The 28-year-old has seen time in one game for Indy this season, getting seven touches for 28 yards. Kalinic was a former second-round pick in the CFL. After spending the preseason with the Colts, he landed on the organization’s practice squad.
Colts To Place LB Shaquille Leonard On IR
Shaquille Leonard‘s difficult season will include another extended injury absence. The Colts are placing their top linebacker on injured reserve, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Leonard, who has only been active for three games this season, suffered a setback with his back injury during practice this week. It will lead to at least a four-game absence. It is not a lock Leonard comes back when first eligible, which would be Week 15, as this back problem has lingered for a while.
This has been a rough year for Leonard, who has dealt with three separate injury issues. A concussion and a nose surgery have impacted the All-Pro defender, but the back issue has represented Leonard’s main 2022 hindrance. After playing through back and lower-body trouble last season, Leonard underwent back surgery early in the summer.
The Colts expected Leonard to be ready for Week 1; he was not. Leonard, 27, did not debut this season until Week 4. During that game, he sustained a concussion. The Colts did not place Leonard on IR ahead of the season; his importance to the team dictated a week-to-week strategy.
After drafting Leonard in the 2018 second round, the Colts have seen him become one of the league’s top linebackers. He collected three first-team All-Pro honors in four seasons, totaling an eye-opening 17 forced fumbles during a versatile start to his career. Leonard, who led the league with eight strips in 2021, parlayed his early-career success into becoming the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. He is tied to a five-year, $98.7MM deal. The first year on that contract is not going well.
Indianapolis, which has made plenty of non-Leonard-related headlines this week, has contract-year ‘backer Bobby Okereke helping to pick up the slack. The former third-round pick ranks as a top-five non-rush ‘backer, per Pro Football Focus. The Colts also have Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed in the mix at this position. Overall, however, Leonard’s injury has epitomized one of the most disappointing seasons in the franchise’s Indianapolis history.
The Colts led the NFL with seven Pro Bowlers last season. Each of those players remains on the team. Indy also added veterans Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore to the mix. Less than a year since those accolades rolled in, the Colts have fired coaches — most notably head coach Frank Reich — and will now be under the microscope due to replacing Reich with a head coach (Jeff Saturday) in his first week in the profession. The Colts (3-5-1) still rank fifth in total defense under new DC Gus Bradley, but the unit — already marginalized by a 32nd-ranked offense — will be tested with another Leonard hiatus coming.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/10/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Herb Miller
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: OT Jordan Steckler
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Jake Funk
- Released: RB Phillip Lindsay
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Kendall Blanton
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OT Derrick Kelly, LB Kenny Young
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Terrell Burgess
Colts Rumors: Saturday, Ryan, Fields, Rivers
The Colts made headlines on Monday when the team decided to fire head coach Frank Reich, naming former center Jeff Saturday the interim head coach for the rest of the year. The decision to appoint Saturday drew widespread surprise as Saturday has no former NFL coaching experience.
Team owner Jim Irsay defended the decision even claiming that Saturday could remain head coach beyond the 2022-23 NFL season, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. General manager Chris Ballard claimed that the Colts attempted to bring Saturday into the league coaching circle in 2019 as an offensive line coach and approached him about a position this year, as well. Saturday has reportedly served as a consultant for the team, with Irsay contacting him as recently as Sunday during the team’s loss to the Patriots to inquire about blocking issues, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic.
Here are a few other rumors concerning the Colts:
- In response to former Colts head coach Tony Dungy‘s recent accusations that the team benched starting quarterback Matt Ryan in order to stay within the boundaries of an injury guarantee in Ryan’s contract, Irsay attempted to set the record straight, according to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Irsay insisted that there are no playing time guarantees in Ryan’s contract. “There’s no such thing,” Irsay claimed. “There’s no bonus if Matt plays a certain amount of time.” If such an incentive does exist, it has not been reported.
- Mishandling the revolving door of quarterbacks in Indianapolis was a factor that led to Reich’s dismissal, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer posits that, instead of going after former quarterback Carson Wentz, the team should have moved up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, something he reports “was a very real consideration for Ballard and Reich early in the process.” The team instead selected Michigan pass-rusher Kwity Paye, allowing the Bears the opportunity to move up and select Fields. The Colts would later trade Wentz away to Washington after one season.
- One of the other quarterback situations that didn’t work out in the long run for Indianapolis was the signing of Philip Rivers in 2020. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Ballard signed Rivers expecting the veteran to lead the team’s offense for multiple years. Although Rivers did take the Colts to the playoffs, he retired after one season with the team, leading the Colts to make more moves for Wentz and, eventually, Ryan in the years to follow.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/9/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OT George Moore, OT Alex Taylor
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jeff Cotton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Darrell Daniels
- Placed on IR: RB D’Vonte Price
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: S Jalen Elliott
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Christopher Hinton, OT Austen Pleasants
New York Giants
- Released: DT Aaron Crawford
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed (from Saints): G Wyatt Davis
- Placed on IR: G Will Hernandez (story)
- Designated for return: S Charles Washington
Chicago Bears
- Designated for return: LB Matthew Adams
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DE Tarell Basham
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: RB Craig Reynolds
- Signed off Broncos’ practice squad: WR Trinity Benson
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: OLB Rashan Gary (story)
- Designated for return: OLB Tipa Galeai
Indianapolis Colts
- Designated for return: WR Ashton Dulin
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: S Isaiah Pola-Mao
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on IR: DL Austin Johnson (story)
- Signed from practice squad: DL Breiden Fehoko
Minnesota Vikings
- Designated for return: TE Ben Ellefson
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: DE Jordan Willis
Adams, Dulin, Ellefson, Galeai, Washington and Willis each have until Nov. 30 to be activated from IR. Should they not be activated, they would revert to season-ending IR. The Colts and Vikings are in solid shape regarding activations, having only used one apiece. The Bears, Cardinals, 49ers and Packers have used three such moves apiece. Teams are allotted eight injury activations this season.
The Cowboys dangled Basham in trades before last week’s deadline, but no takers emerged. While the team cut the other D-lineman they were hoping to deal — Trysten Hill, who has since been claimed by the Cardinals — they ended up using one of their injury activations on Basham. A former Colts third-round pick, Basham notched 3.5 sacks during his first Cowboys season last year. He played in one game this season (Week 1) before going down with a quadriceps injury. The Cowboys, who have Tyron Smith and James Washington on their IR-return radar, have used two injury activations this season.
Assistant QBs Coach Parks Frazier To Call Colts’ Plays
NOVEMBER 9: The Colts announced Wednesday that Frazier will be the team’s play-caller for the rest of the season. The young staffer may not have been the first choice, with quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich believed to have been offered the job as well. But a big opportunity awaits.
NOVEMBER 8: Another twist in the Colts’ coaching plan is expected to ensue. The now-Jeff Saturday-led team is expected to move assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier into the play-calling role, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (on Twitter).
While this may not be the team’s permanent plan, Frazier is set to move into this key position against the Raiders in Week 10. Frazier, 30, has been Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach since 2021. He was previously at the quality control level. Frazier is not believed to have called plays at any level, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com tweets.
The Colts are bypassing the likes of Scott Milanovich and Scottie Montgomery by making this decision. Milanovich is in place as Indianapolis’ quarterbacks coach, while Montgomery — the team’s running backs coach — drew offensive coordinator interest this offseason. Montgomery, 44, came to Indianapolis after stays as East Carolina’s head coach and Maryland’s offensive coordinator; Milanovich, 49, is a former Toronto Argonauts HC who served as the Jaguars’ play-caller after the team fired Nathaniel Hackett during the 2018 season. Milanovich won a Grey Cup while coaching the Argos in 2012.
[RELATED: Colts To Retain GM Chris Ballard]
Frazier joined the Colts as Frank Reich‘s personal assistant in 2018, moving to Indiana after a stay as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State. This is an unorthodox move by Saturday. Then again, it does not come especially close to the shock level of Jim Irsay‘s decision to name Saturday interim head coach.
The Colts fired their top two offensive staffers this season, canning OC Marcus Brady in October and bailing on Reich midway through his fifth season. Reich had served as the team’s play-caller throughout his tenure.
Although the Colts were a surprise divisional-round entrant in Reich’s first season, Andrew Luck‘s stunning retirement threw the franchise off track. Reich still had the Colts’ offense ranking 16th in scoring during Jacoby Brissett‘s second Luck-relieving season (2019), and the team ranked ninth in points during both Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz‘s one-and-done stays. The team, of course, could not sustain that trajectory this season.
Frazier will take over with the Colts ranked 32nd in scoring (14.7 points per game). Indianapolis’ Irsay-influenced decisions regarding Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger have led the Colts to a nosedive offensively, despite the team having doled out big-ticket extensions to Pro Bowl linemen Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith and Ryan Kelly. The team’s issues staffing the other two O-line spots, along with Jonathan Taylor‘s first notable injury, have contributed to the freefall as well. Ehlinger will remain Indy’s starter, and Frazier will be the one tasked with elevating the 2021 sixth-rounder’s play during what promises to be one of the most interesting coaching experiments in modern NFL history.
Scott Milanovich Turned Down Colts’ Play-Calling Duties?
Jim Irsay‘s unusual decision to name Jeff Saturday as his team’s interim head coach has not been well-received around the league. Among Frank Reich‘s holdover staffers, a fair amount of unrest has emerged.
Saturday is going with assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier as his offensive play-caller in Week 10, but Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post reports Frazier was not the first choice. QBs coach Scott Milanovich, a former Jaguars play-caller who helmed the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup as head coach in 2012, turned down the chance to call plays.
Milanovich called plays in Canada and for a short stretch with the Jaguars. He has been on Reich’s staff since last year. While Frazier has been with the Colts since Reich’s 2018 arrival, the 30-year-old does not have play-calling experience and was on the quality control level as recently as 2020. The Colts also have former East Carolina HC and Maryland OC Scottie Montgomery on staff as running backs coach; Montgomery was on the Panthers’ OC radar this offseason.
[RELATED: Reich Aiming For Another HC Job]
Irsay’s decision to hire Saturday has caused tumult among staffers and players, according to La Canfora, who adds Matt Ryan and other veterans were “irate” when informed of the Reich-for-Saturday swap. Some vets have said they do not want to play for the team any longer, though the trade deadline having passed limits players’ options. GM Chris Ballard, whom Irsay said was not in danger of being canned, told players the Saturday decision came “directly from the owner.” Irsay made that plain with his comments this week.
Irsay being behind the firing of offensive coordinator Marcus Brady is not surprising, but La Canfora notes the owner overruled Reich on quarterback selection. Reich did not view Sam Ehlinger as ready to play, and although the since-fired HC did not want to bench the struggling Ryan, he would have gone to Nick Foles before Ehlinger. Reich said this offseason he had wanted to acquire Foles in previous years. Prior to Ehlinger replacing Ryan, he moved past Foles as Indy’s QB2. It does not appear Reich backed that move.
The Colts are 0-2 with the 2021 sixth-round pick starting, and although Ehlinger drew praise from Reich, some around the league believe the Colts are tanking with their Saturday-Ehlinger-Frazier strategy. Irsay vehemently pushed back on that notion (via The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz), but the Colts — who also traded Nyheim Hines‘ through-2024 contract to the Bills at the deadline — will be far less experienced in key spots when they face the Raiders on Sunday.
“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard, that we’re tanking,” Irsay said. “That’s bulls—. We’re in this thing; 9-7-1 get us in, no question about it. … We’re not tanking the season. Whoever says these things, that we’re not playing Matt because [of an effort to tank], that’s all bulls—. That’s not true. … We’re going to do what it takes to win. I don’t know who people think we are, they don’t know us. We don’t tank in Indianapolis.”
Irsay also said, via Kravitz, Ryan could play again this year. Previously, the thought was Reich’s 2023 injury guarantee will keep him sidelined. Ryan has missed time with a shoulder injury, but upon switching to Ehlinger, Reich said the move was not injury-related. The longtime Indianapolis owner said it is inaccurate to suggest he forced the QB switch on Reich, indicating Saturday will have free rein to change quarterbacks. Irsay has, however, taken a hands-on role regarding quarterbacks this year. He forced the trade of Carson Wentz and instructed Ballard to finalize the Ryan deal, so his fingerprints being on the Ehlinger move would not be a stretch.
The Colts won the Andrew Luck sweepstakes 10 years ago, going 2-14 in 2011. But the team losing Peyton Manning for a full season led to that pick, rather than a full-fledged tanking effort. Though, the Colts certainly benefited from losing at the right time. Indianapolis has yet to find a Luck replacement; the team will certainly be linked to first-round passers in 2023.
Reich’s staff also includes DC Gus Bradley, a four-year Jaguars HC who has been on the coordinator level for over a decade, and former Panthers, Broncos and Bears HC John Fox, a senior defensive assistant. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone is viewed as a rising talent in the coaching ranks. The Saturday decision and Irsay’s defense of the choice has drawn criticism from other staffers around the league, Kimberley Martin of ESPN.com tweets.
The Rooney Rule does not apply to interim hires. Rod Graves, the director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, on Twitter) that should change going forward. The NFL’s expanding of the Rooney Rule in recent years certainly points to the possibility it will later apply to interim hires. It is not yet known if the league will discuss that matter for potential 2023 application.
Frank Reich Plans To Seek Another HC Job
Second-chance coaching hires have generated tremendous modern-era success. That coaching path is responsible for 12 of the 21st century’s Super Bowl championships. Bruce Arians, Andy Reid, Gary Kubiak, Pete Carroll, Tom Coughlin and Tony Dungy join Bill Belichick in celebrating titles after being fired or, in Arians’ case, retiring from their previous NFL HC positions.
Frank Reich will aspire to join that club, which also includes coaches from the 1990s (Dick Vermeil, Mike Shanahan). The recently fired Colts HC said Tuesday (via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell) he wants to coach again.
“I think you keep all your options open,’’ Reich said. “Obviously, my desire is to be a head coach. I love the game. I love everything about the game, so you keep all of your options open.”
Given Reich’s work during his first four Colts seasons and his offensive coordinator role for a Super Bowl LII-winning Eagles team that notched three playoff upsets to claim a championship with a backup quarterback (Nick Foles), he figures to generate considerable interest. Although Reich will be 61 when the 2023 hiring period commences, it would be quite surprising if he was not interviewed come January. Reich is 40-33-1 as a head coach. He reeled off three winning seasons during his Indy tenure, doing so despite Andrew Luck‘s 2019 retirement setting the franchise back.
While Jim Irsay insisted the Colts jettison Carson Wentz, the scrutinized passer ranked in the top 10 in QBR during his Colts season. The Wentz trade and his late-season descent, however, almost certainly put the wheels in motion for Reich’s ouster. Leading the Colts to an 11-5 playoff season, Philip Rivers fared better under Reich than he had during a 20-INT 2019 season. Both the Rivers- and Wentz-led Colts offenses ranked in the top 10 in scoring. Reich’s Matt Ryan– and Sam Ehlinger-led attack has not; Indianapolis enters the Jeff Saturday stretch in last offensively. Parks Frazier, who joined Reich as his personal assistant in 2018, is now set to call Indy’s plays.
After hiring Matt Rhule from the college ranks, the Panthers are believed to be seeking a more experienced NFL leader. If the Broncos do decide to make Nathaniel Hackett a one-and-done, they would likely be interested in seeing if Reich and Russell Wilson were a fit. The Cardinals extended Kliff Kingsbury through 2027, but the ex-college coach’s fourth season has not gone well. Reich was a Cardinals assistant in 2012.
With 10 teams having hired coaches this year, fewer openings will exist in 2023. Sean Payton‘s status could also impact Reich. But Reich connections will presumably take place in the coming weeks and months.