Since Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement in 2019, the Colts have cycled through a bevy of temporary quarterback solutions. From Jacoby Brissett to Phillip Rivers to Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan, the Colts have turned to aging veterans to provide a short-term “Band-Aid” to the quarterback position. Matt Ryan, the latest veteran in the Colts quarterback carousel, has struggled mightily this year with nine interceptions and eleven fumbles and the Colts are currently the 4th worst scoring offense in the NFL. With Ryan’s struggles this year, the Colts have finally decided to rip off the “Band-Aid” and turn to second year quarterback Sam Ehlinger to be their starter going forward.
Sam Ehlinger, the former sixth round pick out of the University of Texas, brings youth to the Colts quarterback position that they have not seen since drafting Andrew Luck in 2012. Ehlinger may not be the long term solution for the team, but it was time for the Colts to abandon the Band-Aid quarterback strategy and finally begin looking for a long term solution. Maybe Ehlinger is the solution or maybe the Colts will look to draft a quarterback in an elite 2023 quarterback class but one thing is certain, Matt Ryan was not the guy and the Colts need to find their quarterback to maximize the young talent on this team.
Sam Ehlinger: How Did We Get Here?
The 2018 Colts looked to be a team on the rise with Andrew Luck back healthy and playing at an elite level. Couple this with two First Team All-Pro rookies in LG Quenton Nelson and LB Shaquille Leonard and the team looked well poised to be a Super Bowl threat every year. However, everything flipped in 2019 when Andrew Luck retired sending the Colts into a quarterback tailspin from which they still haven’t recovered.
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The organization has done just enough to stay relevant in the AFC South and always seem to pop up in offseason discussions about dark horse contenders, but with only one playoff appearance since 2018 the Band-Aid quarterback solution is simply not working. The Colts boast one of the most talented young rosters in the NFL with stars like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr, and Alec Pierce to name a few. There is simply too much talent on this roster for them to continue on this path of mediocrity.
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Matt Ryan was brought in this offseason as the latest “solution” to the Colts quarterback position. After finishing the 2021 season 9-8 and losing their last two games to miss out on the playoffs, Colts owner Jim Irsay took an “all chips in” approach. The team quickly moved on from 2021 starter Carson Wentz and looked to bring in another veteran. The Colts sent a 2022 3rd round draft picks to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Matt Ryan hoping to bring veteran leadership and make a push for a deep playoff run.
All offseason reports showed that Matt Ryan still had it and that the former Falcons QB looked revitalized in a new uniform. Couple this with an elite defense with All-Pro talent at each level and a young group of talented players at the offensive skill positions and the Colts looked to be a real threat this season.
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Fast forward seven weeks, and 12 Matt Ryan turnovers later, and the Colts look closer to drafting at the top of the draft than even the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. It is clear that drastic changes needed to be made and the Colts did just that turning to Sam Ehlinger as the starter for the remainder of the season. Ehlinger may not be the right guy at the position and there are bound to be some growing pains, but this is a move the Colts needed to make if they are going to find the long term fit at the quarterback position.
Sam Ehlinger: What Does He Bring?
The Colts selected Sam Ehlinger with the 218th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Texas. The Colts had no intention of Ehlinger starting any time soon when they selected him in the sixth round, but recognized the talent the former Longhorn had and knew he had the potential to succeed at the next level. Ehlinger finished his college career with 11436 yards and 94 touchdowns, both second to Colt McCoy in school history.
Ehlinger also brings a rushing upside to the position as he had at least 110 caries in each of his four seasons at Texas and finished with 1903 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns. The NFL has slowly moved away from the traditional pocket passer as a number of quarterback’s have the ability to break down a defense with their arm and legs. Ehlinger fits this new mold nicely. He is undersized for the position at just 6’1 but has impressive mobility and an innate ability to just make plays.
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This mobility will be paramount to his success in the NFL. The Colts offensive line has struggled this season but Ehlinger has the speed and instincts to avoid pressure even when the line breaks down. He has an ability to extend plays and scramble for yards that the Colts will never see from Matt Ryan. The Colts will need to rely on this ability if the offensive line continues to struggle.
Ehlinger’s abilities go beyond just improvising on the field and making plays as he also shows a strong understanding of the game that impressed the Colts during the draft process.
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To succeed in the NFL, a quarterback obviously needs more than talent. NFL defenses have never failed to figure out some kid rolling out of college that has relied on nothing more than his natural abilities. It takes a real understanding of NFL defenses for a quarterback to succeed and it appears that Ehlinger has this.
And despite the criticism that Frank Reich receives on a daily basis, he does an excellent job getting the most out of his quarterbacks. He understands their unique abilities and does his best at maximizing their talents. If Sam Ehlinger is going to succeed in the NFL, Frank Reich will be a big reason why.
Sam Ehlinger: Long Term Solution or Another Bridge QB?
The jury is obviously still out on Sam Ehlinger as he has yet to even attempt a pass in regular season action in the NFL. He had an excellent preseason and has impressed all offseason but much of this work came against second and third string players. He will need to prove that he can translate this into success against NFL starters. It is likely to be a bumpy road ahead for the young quarterback, but the talent is there and he has full support of his coaching staff.
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While the Colts certainly have an immense level of confidence in Sam, there is the potential that he simply isn’t cut out for a starting job in the NFL. If this is the case, the Colts will need to turn to this year’s draft to find their long term solution. They can’t keep pushing back the inevitable. Fortunately for them, this year’s QB class is strong and features several potential stars.
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Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young are the top contenders to be the first quarterback taken in the 2023 draft. The Colts will likely finish with a good enough record that they would have to trade away a large number of picks to move up and select one of these players. A move like this would come with a massive amount of risk but would have the potential to put the franchise back into the elite status they had with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck at the helm. If Chris Ballard is feeling pressure from owner Jim Irsay to quickly solve the QB position, this is certainly within the realm of possibilities.
However, the Colts won’t necessarily have to move up to select a talent prospect this season. Players like Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson have continued to impress the season and would all be excellent choices for the Colts if they do end up drafting a QB next offseason. All of this will be contingent on Sam Ehlinger’s play for the remainder of this season, as the Colts hope he is the long term solution and that they can focus next year’s draft on putting the necessary pieces around him to help maximize his talent.
Sam Ehlinger: The Colts Moving Forward
The Colts have certainly been a disappointment this year. Many expected a revitalized Matt Ryan to walk into the building and have a Matthew Stafford effect and help the Colts reach that next level. But Ryan quickly turned into another name on the Colts list of failed “Band-Aid” quarterbacks and has left the team with more questions than answers.
The Colts finally made the decision to rip this Band-Aid off and make the move to find their long term solution at the position when they named Sam Ehlinger as the teams starter going forward. This move may have come as a surprise to some, but was necessary for the Colts future success. If the Colts are going to return to Super Bowl contention, Matt Ryan is not the answer. Ehlinger may not be either, but the Colts need to find out what they have in the former Longhorn as they look to solidify the quarterback position moving forward. The Colts can expect some growing pains, but Sam Ehlinger is their best option at quarterback right now.
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