Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan has struggled this season, so much so that the team is benching the veteran in place of backup Sam Ehlinger. The 24-year-old is expected to be "the starter for the rest of the season," Colts coach Frank Reich announced on Monday.
The Colts fell to 3-3-1 with the 19-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, as Ryan suffered a Grade 2 shoulder separation. The team is clearly frustrated and their quarterback is not helping their situation when it comes to winning games.
Ryan has thrown for 2,008 yards with 9 TDs and 9 interceptions -- the most in the NFL this season -- and has been sacked 24 times, which is tied for the most in the league.
Against the Titans, Ryan threw back-to-back interceptions, including a pick-six. Ryan was not off to a great start and now the Colts want to try out someone new behind center to see if it gives them a better chance of winning -- just seven regular season games after shipping their previous starter, Carson Wentz, to the Washington Commanders in a trade.
Let's take a look at who this new Colts starter is, ahead of his first regular-season NFL start this week, which will come against the Commanders and their own backup, Taylor Heinicke, as Wentz nurses a finger injury.
High school
Ehlinger played quarterback at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas and by the time he graduated he was the school's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. He was also named the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year.
He received offers from Florida State, Houston, McNeese State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech, Wyoming and Texas.
Texas Longhorns
Ehlinger became a Texas Longhorn in 2017 and set multiple records while in college. In 2018, he broke the record for most rushing touchdowns by a Longhorns quarterback with 16. That same year he broke the Big 12 record of most consecutive pass attempts without an interception, with 308.
He helped lead the team to 27 wins as a starting quarterback, the fourth-most in school history, and was the seventh two-time team captain in team history.
He was the 2020 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, CBS Sports Preseason All-American and received votes as the CBS Sports Preseason Player of the Year.
In his senior year, he led the team to the Valero Alamo Bowl, where he went 10-for-16 for 160 yards and one touchdown against Colorado (a 55-23 Texas victory) before he was injured and missed the second half.
His junior year he also played in the Alamo Bowl against No. 11 Utah, going 12-of-18 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 11 times for 73 yards and one touchdown in Texas' 38-10 victory.
His freshman year, he went 11-of-15 for 112 yards and a touchdown in the Texas Bowl against Missouri.
Here is a look at Ehlinger's college passing stats:
| Season | Games played | Attempts | Percentage | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | QB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | 9 | 158 | 57.5 | 1,915 | 11 | 7 | 124.1 |
2018 | 14 | 275 | 64.7 | 3,292 | 25 | 5 | 146.8 |
2019 | 12 | 296 | 65.2 | 3,663 | 32 | 10 | 151.8 |
2020 | 10 | 194 | 60.2 | 2,566 | 26 | 5 | 150.7 |
Career | 46 | 923 | 62.5 | 11,436 | 94 | 27 | 145.0 |
Here are Ehlinger's college rushing stats:
| Season | Games played | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | 9 | 114 | 381 | 3.3 | 2 |
2018 | 14 | 164 | 482 | 2.9 | 16 |
2019 | 13 | 163 | 663 | 4.1 | 7 |
2020 | 10 | 113 | 377 | 3.3 | 8 |
Career | 46 | 554 | 1,907 | 3.4 | 33 |
NFL Draft
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Ehlinger in the sixth round with the No. 218 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie contract in May of 2021.
The Colts had Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback at the time.
NFL Career
Ehlinger competed against Jacob Eason for the backup role in 2021. In September of 2021, he was placed on injured reserve following an ACL sprain.
He helped lead the team to a 21-18 comeback against the Carolina Panthers in his first preseason game in 2021.
Here is a look at Ehlinger's 2022 preseason stats:
- Completion-Attempts: 24-29
- Passing yards: 289
- Passing touchdowns: 4
- Rushing touchdowns :1
- Turnovers: 0
- Passer rating: 147.8
In May of 2021, Sam's younger broker Jake, who was a linebacker at Texas, died in what was later ruled an accidental overdose on Xanax laced with fentanyl. His father died from a heart attack at age 46 in 2013 during a triathlon.
