For the second consecutive offseason, the Indianapolis Colts took a ride on the quarterback carousel. Last season, they acquired Carson Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles and he lasted one season as the team’s starter.

Earlier this offseason, Wentz was traded back to the NFC East, as he will be taking over the starting job for the Washington Commanders. Many presumed the Colts would be where Jimmy Garoppolo ultimately ended up, but they pivoted in another direction.

This week, they acquired veteran Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons. Indianapolis is taking full advantage of a cast-strapped team, as they acquired the former MVP for only a third-round pick. For the Colts, this is a great deal.

For starters, this will bring a little continuity to the quarterback position, something they haven’t had since Andrew Luck was the starter. When Luck announced his surprising retirement heading into the 2019 season, the Colts were left scrambling.

Ryan will be the fourth starting quarterback for the team in four years since Luck’s retirement. But, he has another year on his contract and given his level of play, he should be around for 2023 unless he decides to retire himself.

While he no longer plays at an MVP level, he is still a serviceable player at the position. He was near average in almost every advanced stat on Pro-Football-Reference, which should be enough to help get the Colts over the hump.

Last season, the Colts were undone because Wentz was unable to step up when the team needed him most. For example, needing a win over the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 to make the postseason, Wentz had his worst game of the season, which likely sealed his fate to no longer be on the roster.

While Ryan had 12 interceptions compared to seven by Wentz, when taking into consideration the circumstances each was in, it is a smart move by the Colts. Ryan lost his No. 1 receiver in Calvin Ridley after only five games as Ridley stepped away from football to work on his mental wellbeing. Cordarrelle Patterson was moved to running back, leaving rookie tight end Kyle Pitts and Russell Gage as his go-to pass catchers.

With Gage leaving to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, the skill position group is even weaker in Atlanta in 2022. This is a deal that Ryan will benefit greatly from, as playing behind an improved offensive line with a better running game and weapons to get the ball to should enable him to bump his stats back up to the numbers we are accustomed to seeing.