NFL Analysis Network

NFL Exec Gets Brutally Honest About Colts’ QB Matt Ryan

The Indianapolis Colts have a few more holes to fill on their roster this offseason, namely finding a left tackle for the offensive line. They could use some help at wide receiver and it wouldn’t hurt to add another pass rusher to the mix, but this offseason should be deemed a success already because they filled their biggest need; finding a quarterback.

The Carson Wentz experiment ended in disaster. When the team needed him most in a Week 18 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, where the Colts just needed a victory to make the postseason, Wentz faltered.

Knowing they had to make a change, the Colts bided their time. It would be easier said than done to move on from Wentz, but they took advantage of the hand they were dealt. They traded Wentz to the Washington Commanders, picking up some draft capital in the process.

That draft capital was then flipped to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Matt Ryan. While Ryan is turning 37-years old in May, he represents what should be an upgrade on Wentz. Given how strong the rest of the roster is, the team now just has to win.

Winning isn’t easy. But, the Colts are in a great position to do so. They showed how strong of a team they were in the middle part of the season when they went 8-3. Unfortunately, it was bookended by a 1-5 performance.

However, there are some naysayers when it comes to Ryan’s ability to continue playing at a productive level. Over at The Athletic, a paid subscription website, they had NFL executives discuss how teams did this offseason. One person isn’t as high on the Ryan acquisition as others.

“I think age has caught Matt Ryan,” a dissenter said. “I had him with a big decline last year. Matt has had a phenomenal career, a great quarterback, but it wasn’t like he was super big athletic or had a super strong arm. I see the skills declining a little bit quicker for him as a result. I think they could be looking at another quarterback in a year, and if they don’t win, look out for Irsay.”

Ryan is going to be the fifth different quarterback starting under center for the Colts in the last five years. Owner Jim Irsay wants a winning team on the field and he has shown he is willing to make changes if he isn’t seeing the results he wants.

For two decades the Colts had Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck leading their offense under center. They are now seeing that it isn’t so easy to find a franchise quarterback, just as almost the rest of the league has experienced during that time.

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