The Indianapolis Colts benching Matt Ryan — the veteran quarterback they traded for during this past offseason — has been the most surprising story as teams prepare for Week 8. Ryan is nursing a sore shoulder and may not have been able to play, but head coach Frank Reich said Ryan's health didn't have anything to do with it — he would have been benched for backup QB Sam Ehlinger even if he was healthy.
On Wednesday, we heard from Ryan for the first time since that news broke two days ago. He had the perfect honest-yet-diplomatic answer to the question on everyone's mind: what were your feelings when you were told Ehlinger was starting?
"I was individually and personally disappointed," Ryan said. "As a player, as a competitor, you wanna be out there. You wanna go. It's part of the deal in this league. You gotta produce and you gotta go out there and play. Frustrated that we weren't able to do that in the first seven games. But you move forward. Life in this league is week-to-week and the production has to be there. Obviously, disappointed personally but here for the team."
"There is a little bit of that surprise and shock at the beginning, but it’s a decision they had to make..."
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 26, 2022
Matt Ryan on the Colts' decision to start Sam Ehlinger.
(via @ClarkWade34)pic.twitter.com/xmuRJ3AB9x
It feels like Ryan has been a starter in the NFL since God was in short pants. He was drafted in 2008 and spent the next 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before the trade to Indy. In that time, he started all 16 games (or 17 in 2021) in all but two years, and has missed a grand total of three starts in his entire career. He's been doing this forever, and Ryan discussed how it was a shock to have to take himself out of the starter's mindset he's had for years.
"I think anytime, as a player, you just always anticipate 'It's next week, you're getting ready, you're gonna go.' And so that's where your mindset's at. There is a bit of that surprise and shock or whatever at the beginning, but it's a decision they had to make and, as a player, as a teammate, you have to move forward and you've gotta help out where you can."
And Ryan intends to try his best to do just that, even though he has zero professional experience as a backup quarterback.
"It's not something I've dealt with," Ryan via ESPN. "But I've been around a long time and seen that it happens. So I've always preached that you've gotta accept and embrace the role that they decide for you and try and be the best in that role that you can be. And that's what I'll do."
