The 2022 season has not gone according to plan for the Indianapolis Colts. They entered the season with some high expectations as many people thought that they were a dark horse contender for the Super Bowl with the offseason moves that they made.
They don’t look close to being Super Bowl contenders, let alone even playoff contenders. As a result, the organization has decided to make a bold move as Frank Reich is out as head coach of the team.
This is pretty shocking news as Reich is the second head coach to be let go during the season following the Carolina Panthers’ dismissal of Matt Rhule. This isn’t something anyone saw coming as the Colts are struggling with a 3-5-1 record, but rumors of Reich being ousted were nonexistent.
Injuries and effectiveness on offense have been what has doomed Indianapolis this season. Reich decided to bench veteran Matt Ryan for 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger and things have not improved at all. Offensive coordinator Marcus Brady was also fired by Reich earlier this season.
Reich was hired as head coach of the Colts in 2018 and the team has failed to lock down a consistent starting quarterback. Andrew Luck was the face of the franchise, but his abrupt retirement ahead of the 2019 season led to Reich having a different starting quarterback in Week 1 each season of his tenure with the team.
During his time as head coach of the team, Reich went 40-33-1, making the postseason two out of four seasons. He was 1-2 in the playoffs, losing in the Divisional Round during the 2018 season and in the Wild Card round in the 2020 season.
The Colts fell just short of a postseason berth last season but Carson Wentz’s implosion in Week 18 in a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars that the Colts just needed to win to be in, cost them another berth. The move to acquire Ryan was made in part because he was viewed as a sizable upgrade on Wentz, but that was not the case when he was on the field.
All eyes will now be on general manager Chris Ballard, who soon could meet the same fate as Reich. Ballard is the person who built this underperforming roster and hired Reich in 2018.
