Former Colts QB Matt Ryan Possible Aaron Rodgers Replacement

Former Indianapolis Colts signal caller Matt Ryan has been mentioned as a possible quarterback option for the New York Jets.

Matt Ryan looked pretty comfortable in his regular season television debut for CBS Sports. But if he is considering one more run at a Super Bowl, an opportunity may have presented itself.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be out for the rest of the 2023 season because of an Achilles tear he sustained in Week 1. Although Jets head coach Robert Saleh tried to quiet the idea of New York pursuing a veteran option by declaring Zach Wilson the team's quarterback going forward, a Ryan-Jets union could be on the table.

Matt Ryan is a player the New York Jets are expected to reach out to, he ran the same system with the Atlanta Falcons. pic.twitter.com/aTLpqlF3Yc

— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) September 12, 2023

Pro Football Network's Jason Katz named Ryan one of eight available quarterbacks that are options for the Jets.

"Matt Ryan’s career in Atlanta ended after the 2021 season. The Colts signed him in 2022, hoping he could be their next Philip Rivers," Katz wrote. "Unfortunately, Ryan looked completely cooked, ultimately getting benched for Sam Ehlinger.

"At 38 years old, Ryan has little left. However, he still has his brain. He could manage the game and allow the Jets’ defense and other playmakers to do the heavy lifting."

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Indianapolis Colts fans may laugh a bit at the notion that Ryan can be the savior for a team that doesn't need heavy lifting from its quarterback.

That was generally the narrative around Ryan last offseason when the Colts traded a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for him. But in just 12 games, Ryan had 13 interceptions versus 14 touchdowns. He also fumbled a career-high 15 times.

Then again, he didn't get the help he expected from the rest of the Colts offense. Indianapolis' decision to start Matt Pryor at left tackle backfired tremendously, and the rest of the offensive line underachieved. 

The poor offensive line play from the Colts resulted in Ryan taking more than 3 sacks per start. It also placed the Colts running attack in neutral.

The Jets may not have a much better offensive line than the Colts did a year ago. Rodgers suffered his injury after getting hit three times on four snaps to begin the Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

While New York could benefit from Ryan's veteran experience and leadership, the idea of placing an immobile quarterback behind a leaky offensive line is far from ideal.

As Colts fans can attest, the 38-year-old Ryan is as immobile as it gets.

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