Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III started up some interesting Twitter takes on Monday with one simple tweet:
On Monday, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they were benching former MVP Matt Ryan in favor of second-year QB Sam Ehlinger, a 2021 sixth-round draft choice out of Texas. And with that, it looks like the Colts will head into 2023 with their fifth different Week 1 starter since 2019.
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Andrew Luck announced his retirement from football in Aug. 2019, leaving the Colts with no choice but to start backup Jacoby Brissett for the year. Coming off a 10-win season and wild card berth, the Colts regressed to seven wins in 2019.
In 2020, the Colts signed longtime San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to a one-year deal. He played well under Frank Reich and led the Colts to 11 wins plus a wild card berth, but Rivers retired after the team was eliminated by the Buffalo Bills.
Following Rivers’ retirement, the Colts decided to reunite Reich with Carson Wentz, who sought a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles after a dismal 2020 season. Wentz’s play was awfully inconsistent, and the Colts imploded in a Week 18 win-or-go-home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That prompted the Colts to make another change at quarterback. Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders, and GM Chris Ballard acquired Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons for the low price of a third-round pick.
But Ryan’s play has been worse than any of the previous three starting quarterbacks Indianapolis has used. He’s thrown nine interceptions, fumbled 11 times and taken 24 sacks. All of those totals lead the NFL.
And so, the 3-3-1 Colts decided to try their luck with the second-year product in Ehlinger. Only time will tell if Reich’s bold decision pays off.
