“Indy has an adult now at quarterback” - NFL analyst thinks Matt Ryan’s maturity is Colts' biggest upgrade over Carson Wentz
Matt Ryan, the former longtime quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, has landed at Lucas Oil Stadium as the new signal-caller for the Indianapolis Colts.
The trade was made because the Colts traded away their former starter, Carson Wentz, to the Washington Commanders for a 2022 second-round pick, a 2022 third-round pick, and a conditional 2023 third-round pick.
Colts agree to trade QB Carson Wentz to Commanders. (via @RapSheet) https://t.co/G5RZDbC5mK
NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky was a recent guest on ESPN's First Take, and he had this to say about the Colts getting an upgrade in maturity going from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan:
“You know, Molly (show moderator), something that we don't like...it's so difficult to really talk about on television. It's also difficult to try to quantify and figure this out. I think the basic difference is that Indy now has an adult at quarterback. That may not be the best phrasing, but they now have an "ice in his veins" leader. A guy that will walk into that locker room and be the leader of men. And that is not easy to do. Sometimes, you pay guys strictly to be able to do that."
Orlovsky concluded his thoughts by speaking on what he believes Carson Wentz may struggle with next season with the Washington Commanders:
I think the more you hear, the more you find out, that's probably where Carson has some of his biggest lapses. I don't know if he's going to be able to change that in a year. I don't know if that's going to be something that he (personality-wise) is going to be able to really wrap his arms around and make it a strength. Right now, it seems the more you hear about the censorship situations in Philly and in Indy, the more it sounds like a weakness.”
With Matt Ryan now in the fold with the Colts, the team will look to improve upon their previous season when they missed the playoffs.
Will Matt Ryan get the Indianapolis Colts back into the playoffs?
The 2021 NFL season saw Carson Wentz and the Indianapolis Colts needing just one win in their last two games to qualify for the playoffs.
Their last two games were against a Las Vegas Raiders team that was decimated from a coaching scandal and also had two players (receiver Henry Ruggs III and defensive back Damon Arnette) cut for off-the-field issues and a Jacksonville Jaguars team with the worst record in the league.
The Colts lost both games, which started rumors that the team may look elsewhere for help at the quarterback position.
A year before Wentz joined the team, the Colts had longtime veteran quarterback Philip Rivers play for only one season before retiring, and he led the team to the Wild Card round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs. The expectation was for Wentz to do the same, but he failed to do so.
As part of the deal to acquire new QB Matt Ryan, the #Colts picked up his $7.5M roster bonus and added guarantees to the entirety of his 2-year deal that has nearly $54M left overall, source said.
Matt Ryan is a former NFL MVP (2016) and has led the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl (LI), which they lost to the New England Patriots. The hope for Colts fans is that Ryan can provide the same type of veteran leadership and presence that Rivers did just two years ago.
With the NFL's 2021 leading rusher in Jonathan Taylor, taking some of the pressure away, the Colts are trending upwards regarding where they expect to be next season after the regular and post-season.