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Colts Acquire Matt Ryan Via Trade With Atlanta

Trey Daubert / NFL / March 21, 2022

Colts Acquire Matt Ryan Via Trade With Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Colts are closing in on a trade for Matt Ryan! After dealing Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders, Indy has decided that Ryan is a suitable replacement. After moving Wentz for two third round picks, Indy will send one pick to acquire the former Falcons quarterback.

Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the news:

Compensation: a 2022 third-round pick, per sources. Deal officially agreed to. https://t.co/8B2PxPHAmu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2022

Ryan, 36, is probably past his prime at this point. The former Boston College product is still accurate but has lost arm strength. Ryan was the MVP winner in 2016 and hasn’t quite looked the same since Kyle Shanahan left town.

In 2021, Ryan completed 67% of his throws but only sported a mediocre 20-12 TD to INT ratio. It was also the first year since 2010 that Ryan did not throw for 4,000 yards in a season where the former Falcons quarterback started all 17 games. This is someone clearly on the decline.

The Colts were desperate. Ryan is not an upgrade over Carson Wentz given the age of both players. While Ryan is a clear upgrade over Sam Ehlinger, it’s hard to feel 100 percent confident here. Ryan brings a 2 year, $51.75 million contract with him to the Colts while leaving Atlanta with a record $40.5 million dead cap hit to the Falcons.

The writing was on the wall with Ryan in Atlanta. They tried their damn best to land Deshaun Watson. With Calvin Ridley suspended, we knew this Falcons team was going nowhere. Getting something for an aging franchise icon is just something that had to be done. The Falcons window has been slammed shut since Shanahan left the organization.