The Indianapolis Colts made a surprising decision to bench their starting quarterback Matt Ryan. According to the Colts head coach Frank Reich, the team will proceed with second-year signal-caller Sam Ehlinger playing under center for the remainder of the season.
Ryan suffered a shoulder separation in Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans, but this hasn’t been the sole reason why the veteran is being sent to the sidelines. The 37-year-old player struggled mightily in his first season with the Colts, throwing league-leading nine interceptions and having 11 fumbles.
Speaking about his decision, Reich said that the team felt they needed to make a change in order to get out of the offensive rut. Indy’s 16.1 points scored per game is currently 29th in the NFL.
“Extremely difficult decision given the respect and admiration that we have for Matt Ryan, given what he’s brought here,” Reich said Monday. “He is a pro’s pro. This guy is special. We all know at the quarterback position that our poor production on offense is not on one person.”
Ryan, who was named NFL MVP in 2016, arrived in Indy this offseason from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a third-round selection. He completed 68.4% of his passes throughout the first seven weeks with the Colts while throwing for 2,008 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Colts now hope that Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick in 2021, can provide them with a desperately-needed spark. The Texas Longhorns product had never attempted a pass during a regular season since coming into NFL but had a strong showing this postseason and was reportedly impressive during practices.
Ehlinger will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Veteran Nick Foles will serve as his backup.
