Colts bench QB Matt Ryan for the rest of the season

The Indianapolis Colts have made a major move early in the season: they’ve decided to bench quarterback Matt Ryan for the rest of the campaign and use Sam Ehlinger as starter instead.

According to head coach Frank Reich, “Right now the move is for Sam to be the starter for the rest of the season.”

Ryan suffered a shoulder injury in the in their 19-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, but this is not the only reason he will not start for the Colts.

Ryan: Too many turnovers

Indianapolis fell to 3-3-1 after Sunday’s defeat, where Ryan threw back-to-back interceptions in the second quarter. So far this season, the 37-year-old has thrown for 2,008 yards and nine touchdowns.

However, he has also tallied nine interceptions and 11 fumbles, and was sacked 24 times. These last three figures are the highest in the league.

The veteran has been a consistently productive quarterback for more than ten years. He has a record of 61,743 yards in a total of 229 games, and has started every game he has played in the league.

Ryan moved to the Colts from the Atlanta Falcons in March. He had been with the Falcons since 2008, when the team acquired him as the third overall pick in the draft.

Reich said the decision to switch quarterbacks was not an easy one, but said Ehlinger impressed him during practice.

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Ehlinger’s limited experience

The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick out of Texas in the 2021 NFL Draft, and has only appeared in three NFL games, during which he did not throw a pass.

Ehlinger will start this week against the Washington Commanders with Nick Foles as his backup.