Indianapolis – For the 2nd time in 3 years the Indianapolis Colts have brought in an aging QB that was at one time the franchise cornerstone for a different organization. In 2020 the Colts brought in 38 year old Philip Rivers after spending 16 years with the Chargers and now welcome Matt Ryan, who spent 14 years with the Falcons.
2022 will mark the 7th straight year the Colts will have a different QB under center for Week 1:
The Colts will have their 7th different Week 1 starting QB next season (longest active streak):
2016 – Andrew Luck
2017 – Scott Tolzien
2018 – Andrew Luck
2019 – Jacoby Brissett
2020 – Philip Rivers
2021 – Carson Wentz
2022 – Matt Ryan (projected starter) pic.twitter.com/H8ti8yXscx
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) March 21, 2022
The worry with aging QBs is that their skills have greatly diminished from their prime. That major discussion point when Philip Rivers came to Indianapolis was if his arm strength was sufficient enough to be a top 15 QB in the NFL. 107.5 The Fan afternoon drive host JMV asked Ryan if he has felt like there has been a drop off in his performance as he plays through his late 30s:
“I still feel from a physical point right there…I still feel like physically that I’m in a really good place. Body feels good, mind feels on point and the drive to be the best I can be is still there. I feel like I’m in a good place and with an organization that is doing things the right way but as far as me, I still feel really good.”
Philip Rivers was seen as a stopgap option at QB for the Colts and while he only signed a 1 year contract at the time, Chris Ballard and Frank Reich believed that he would be their guy for at least an additional year. Matt Ryan comes to Indianapolis with 2 years remaining on his contract so JMV asked him if he still feels like he will be playing in the NFL through the remainder of his deal or beyond:
JMV: “Your contract is for 2 years. Are you for sure in and feel as if you can absolutely give this team 2 years, if not more.”
Matt Ryan: “I say if not more. I feel like I’m in a great spot. I’ve learned how to take care of my body and I’m coming in fresh and ready to go. I want to play until I’m 40 or past. I’m not great at math but that’s more than 2 years. So hopefully we can be productive and this can be a really fun run here for the next two and hopefully beyond.”
For Colts fans that have experienced a new QB every year since Andrew Luck retired, it should be music to their ears knowing that Matt Ryan not only brings consistent, veteran play but also continuity for Chris Ballard and Frank Reich to load up this roster without having to worry about finding a new starting QB.
If you missed any of Matt Ryan’s conversation with JMV, the full interview is below! They hit on when he knew the Colts were the best fit for him, how hard it took for Chris Ballard to sell him on this franchise, and he tells a story about how a bunch of his new teammates reached out to him after the trade was made public.
