Matt Ryan has moved from first to last on the Colts’ quarterback depth chart.
Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday, who announced two days ago that Nick Foles will start on Monday night, announced today that Sam Ehlinger will back Foles up.
Ryan is the third-string quarterback and appears likely to be inactive for the final three games of the season.
Before Frank Reich was fired and Saturday was hired, the Colts had previously indicated that they planned to sit Ryan for the rest of the year, in large part because of the salary cap charge the Colts would take in 2023 if Ryan suffered an injury that prevented him from playing next year.
The Colts want Ryan to be healthy so they can release him. Even if they cut him he’s due a $12 million base salary in 2023, but if he can’t pass a physical by the middle of March the Colts would owe him an additional $17.025 million beyond that.
Whether the 37-year-old Ryan will retire after the season or try to catch on with another team in 2023 remains to be seen, but it appears that he has played his last game as a Colt.
