Has Sam Ehlinger Earned a Roster Spot?

Has Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger done enough in the preseason to earn a spot on the 53-man active roster?

Indianapolis Colts third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger has been nearly flawless in the preseason.

After his 5 for 7 passing performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Ehlinger finished preseason 24 of 29 passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

That said, head coach Frank Reich has been steadfast in his pecking order for the Colts' quarterbacks with veteran Nick Foles backing up starter Matt Ryan.

Has Ehlinger done enough to warrant a spot on the 53-man roster, or would the Colts risk losing him to a waiver claim in order to stash him on the 16-man practice squad on Wednesday?

"Sam has had a phenomenal preseason," Reich said via video conference on Sunday. "It’s hard to imagine having a better preseason than he’s had. Really excited about him and his continued development."

"That decision – he’s done everything he’s needed to do. He did what he was supposed to do, and I don’t think it’s a surprise to any of us. It’s a credit to him, and like you said, most teams would not like to have to do that (keep three active quarterbacks), but that’s the decision that we’ll have to make here in the next 24-48 hours."

Ehlinger's play in the preseason most certainly will have gotten the attention of executives around a quarterback-starved league.

If the Colts decide they can't afford a roster spot for a third quarterback, they may try to trade him for draft capital in the next 24 hours. 

Ehlinger has been terrific in the preseason. His play has given Reich and general manager Chris Ballard a tough decision to make, but those are good problems the Colts have when they find themselves with too many quarterbacks.