The Indianapolis Colts made a surprising move Monday, naming Sam Ehlinger the starting quarterback over Matt Ryan for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Even though Ryan is dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered during the Week 7 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the plan is for Ehlinger to be the starter even if Ryan is healthy.
With that, here’s everything that head coach Frank Reich said about the change at quarterback Monday:
Initial statement
Frank Reich: “Wanted to note that we are going to make a significant change to the starting lineup. We are going to elevate Sam (Ehlinger) to be the starting quarterback. Extremely difficult decision, obviously given the respect and admiration that we have for Matt Ryan and what he’s done and what he’s brought here. He is a pro’s pro. This guy is special, special, special. We know at the quarterback position that our poor production on offense is not on one person. It’s not on Matt Ryan. But we also know as Matt and I talked it though, as head coach and quarterback – as head coach ultimately it doesn’t matter, I’m judged on wins and losses. Quarterbacks are judged on points and production and turnovers. We understand that’s how it is in this league. Matt will be a pro. I will say this, as you guys saw or maybe saw, he did get banged up in the game. He does have a Grade-2 shoulder separation so will not practice this week. He will be inactive. Nick (Foles) will be No. 2, but Matt is committed to helping this team in every way he can.”
This was not a rushed judgement
Frank Reich: “You want to make sure you make this move that it is truly the best thing for the team and you don’t want to rush into this kind of a judgment. I don’t think we did that. It wasn’t like we’re sitting here saying, ‘Let’s wait until he throws another interception and then we’re going to make a switch.’ It was the exact opposite. For me, it was this guy is going to lead us where we want to go and have that belief and confidence. At some point as a head coach you have to make hard decisions. You have to work through these things and they are not easy decisions to be made.”
Matt Ryan is a pro's pro
Frank Reich: “No, didn’t know. Watched the tape coming home, got home, drove into the office and watched the tape again. So, no the decision wasn’t made right away. Then, I had conversations with all three of those guys this morning. Obviously, hard conversations but the thing with Matt (Ryan) is he is such a pro, he made the conversation easy. Of course it’s not easy, but he made it easier in just the way he is.”
Jim Irsay's involvement
Frank Reich: “I did have a conversation with both he and Chris (Ballard) late last night for an hour or so, just talking everything through. Obviously, he’s again – Mr. Irsay, as I’ve said many times and you guys know better than me because you’ve been here longer than me, is he’s got a lot of wisdom, a lot of good counsel. Certainly his vote is always going to carry – it’s a one-man crew in that respect, but what I appreciate about him is this is a collective decision. This is, ‘Let’s talk this through.’ He might lead the way in certain ways, but it’s really owner, GM, head coach talking through a decision of this magnitude.”
"We did not hold up our end of the bargain"
Frank Reich: “I told this to Matt (Ryan), ‘Hey Matt, we did not hold up to our end of the bargain. You came here and we promised you a top-NFL rushing game and we promised you great protection and we haven’t really, as an offense, delivered on that,’ and that really starts with me. That’s basically my message to Matt, is that, I thought, we thought the marriage of Matt Ryan and his history with our running game – he’s had 14 years of incredibly productive, great quarterback play with great play-action. So, we just thought there was going to be a natural marriage there. It made a lot of sense.”
Confidence in Sam Ehlinger
Frank Reich: “It’s a big step but we think he’s ready. This guy is special. You all know it, everybody knows it. Talk to anybody in that locker room and we’re fortunate to have a guy – really, three quarterbacks like that. Sam (Ehlinger), he’s got that about him, he carries himself in a way, he practices in a way. He’ll be ready. He’ll be ready. Is he going to have some growing pains? Of course. Is he going to make mistakes? Of course, he’s going to make mistakes. But I think Sam will make plays. Sam is going to make plays. He’s proven that everywhere he’s been, and we believe that’s what he’s going to do for our offense. He’s going to make plays.”
Ehlinger's mobility is a factor
Frank Reich: “If you have a quarterback who can scramble and get out into the open, if you say, ‘Hey, if you can just get us one or two a game, one or two third-down conversions where you scramble.’ If you get one or two a game, those are huge plays. Sam (Ehlinger) as we all know, we’ve all witnessed, he has the capability to do that. Sometimes in a game, it’s those one or two third-down conversions on a scramble that can make the difference in a game.”
