He was 18 in 21 with 123 yards and a goal in the second half but hasn’t been able to complete his fourth-quarter comeback this season. Reich said the verdict would have been the same even if Ryan was not injured.
“The shoulder injury is real, but this move was going to be done either way,” he said.
Ryan did not speak to reporters on Monday. It is usually available on Wednesdays.
Indy (3-3-1) sent Atlanta a 2022 third-round pick for Ryan, 37, in March.
General manager Chris Ballard thought Ryan was playing just as well last season. In April, team owner Jim Irsay said he thought Ryan could make the Colts a competitor in up to four years.
However, this season did not go as many expected.
Ryan made nine interceptions and made 11 failures, both league-high.
The Colts’ generally strong offensive line conceded, allowing 59 hits and 24 sacks – the most draws in the NFL going Monday with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.
And with Indy’s traditionally strong ground play undermined, Ryan made more passes (297) than anyone except Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (308).
The combination made Indy the NFL’s fourth-lowest team (16.1 points) and in need of a change.
“I’m excited for Sam and the opportunity this presents him,” Reich said. “We always thought Sam had his special sauce. We think this is the best decision for our team.”
Ehlinger’s astonishing rise in the depth chart was swift.
The former Texan star was selected in the sixth round in 2021 but opened his rookie season in reserve due to a knee injury. In October that season, he defeated Jacob Eason for number 3 and made three appearances, but Ehlinger did not make a pass.
An impressive second season of exhibitions has left some wondering if Ehlinger, obviously 6-foot-1,222-pound, could replace Reich’s longtime friend, Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles. number two.
Reich made the move before his Week 6 victory over Jacksonville and kept Ehlinger in reserve on Sunday.
Ehlinger thought the move was made primarily to use it for a few games.
“We haven’t discussed a package this week, so I don’t know what the plan is for that,” Ehlinger said last Wednesday. “There were a few situations we talked about last week. Obviously it didn’t result in running any of them. ”
Another week of good practice continued to turn heads within the organization, and when Ryan struggled again on Sunday, Reich, Irsay and Ballard gathered again to discuss the move.
Reich said he told quarterbacks and teammates on Monday that Ryan responded like a pro and promised to help the Colts. The hope is that Ehlinger’s mobility can help him avoid passers, play on the court and play with his legs.
“I think it was a great decision for us to have the way Sam came back and played,” Grover Stewart said. “I think it’s a good decision for us.”
Ehlinger will be the seventh different starting quarterback Reich has used during his five-year tenure with the Colts.
Ryan is in the NFL’s top 10 of all time, with an endgame feat, career completions and fourth-quarter comebacks that earned Reich praise last week.
And with one more year left on Ryan’s contract that cost the Colts $21.7 million in 2023, Ryan may no longer be part of Indy’s long-term plan.
“I told Matt this, ‘We didn’t keep our part of the bargain here. I mean, you came here and we promised you one of the best NFL rushing games, and we promised you big protection, and we didn’t really do that as an offense, and that starts with me,” Reich said. “We thought about Matt Ryan’s marriage and history with our running game, we just thought it would be a natural marriage.”