COLTS NAME SAM EHLINGER STARTING QB FOR REST OF THE SEASON OVER MATT RYAN
The Indianapolis Colts have confirmed that second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger is set to be the starter for the team going forward.
The 24-year-old sixth-round pick out of the University of Texas is set to start under center for the Colts going forward replacing 37-year-old Matt Ryan whom the Colts traded a third-round pick to acquire from the Atlanta Falcons in the spring. The Indianapolis Colts received two third-round picks from Washington for Carson Wentz in the offseason and sent one to Atlanta.
Ryan has been struggling so far this season and has the Colts’ offense ranked 30h in the league in points per game after just seven weeks. The 2016 regular season MVP has thrown the most interceptions in the league (9) and has the most fumbles (11) through the first seven weeks. Ryan has also been sacked a tied-league-worst 24 times and is now sidelined for several weeks with a grade 2 shoulder sprain.
Ryan’s benching is not related to his injury as confirmed by head coach Frank Reich. The former Boston College Eagle will not practice this week and will thus not be available to back up Sam Ehlinger on Sunday against the Commanders.
Frank Reich spoke to the media on Monday and said: “The move right now is for Sam to be the starter for the rest of the season.” Reich said it was an “extremely difficult” decision to change starting quarterbacks but he’s been “particularly impressed with Sam this year in practice.”
Reich also pointed out to the “special sauce” that Ehlinger brings as a playmaker in the offense. “We’ve always thought from day 1 that Sam had some kind of special sauce,” he said. “He’s continued to show it. I’ve been particularly impressed with Sam this year in practice. Once the season started, the look he’s giving on scout team, the quality of his throws, the way he’s commanding himself out there. (Like) the total package. Just feel like, at this point, that’s the best decision for our team going forward.”
“It’s a big step but we think he’s ready,” Reich said. “This guy’s special. Sam, he’s got that about him. He plays, he practices in a way he’ll be ready.”
The Colts will have Nick Foles as the backup quarterback on Sunday. Foles and Ehlinger are both alumni of Westlake High, a high school outside of Austin, and are set to make NFL history on Sunday by being the first pair of quarterbacks from the same high school to start and backup for the same team in an NFL game.
Scouts and coaches loved Sam Ehlinger coming out of college and spoke greatly of his toughness and competitiveness before the 2021 NFL draft. Ehlinger is an incredibly smart quarterback with a high football IQ as was proven by an NFC coordinator who said last year that “his interview was unbelievable” and that he “should be a coach.” An AFC quarterback coach spoke highly of his maturity but went short of his throwing ability, saying he “didn’t throw well enough.” Whether Ehlinger has improved as a passer is still to be seen but if scouting and coaching opinions are anything to go by, the fundamentals are there. Ehlinger is yet to throw a pass in the league and now has the opportunity to prove himself.
Head coach Frank Reich said that he and GM Chris Ballard met with Colts owner Jim Irsay on Sunday night to discuss the change and that the switch was made with the intention that Ehlinger remains the team’s starter for the rest of the year. Owner Jim Irsay is reported to have been more involved in football decisions behind the scenes lately but Reich stopped short of confirming whether the decision to make a change was his or Irsay’s.
Since 2018 the Indianapolis Colts have paid out $145 million to 12 different quarterbacks including $30 million to Andrew Luck, $30.4 million to Jacoby Brissett, $25 million to Philip Rivers, and $21.3 million to Carson Wentz. Ehlinger is now the seventh different starting quarterback under head coach Frank Reich and puts the team in a precarious position as Matt Ryan is guaranteed on his contract for the next two years. Ryan has $24.7 million of his 2022 salary guaranteed, and $12 million of his base salary next season fully guaranteed. The former will also get $17.2 million in case he suffers an injury, an amount that will become fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2023 league year.
The Colts are currently 3-3-1 for the season, a record that has had the fans calling for head coach Frank Reich to get fired. Their offensive line has had some moving parts through the year and the team has sorely missed Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor for a couple of games with a toe injury. Plagued by injury, the Colts’ start to the season has been underwhelming and the team has also not had Pro Bowl linebacker and leader Shaquille Leonard for an entire game on defense this year. Leonard was hurt before halftime in week 1 against the Jaguars with a shoulder injury.
The Indianapolis Colts will now soldier on with Sam Ehlinger as the starter as Reich tries to turn the ship around, making the AFC South franchise an interesting team to look out for going forward. After hosting the Commanders, the Colts face the Patriots, Raiders, Eagles, and Steelers in the next month.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Fox Sports. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.