NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Ranking the 10 best NFL trades from a wild, crazy 2022 offseason

By Sayre Bedinger

GREEN BAY, WI - AUGUST 18: Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers and Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders chat after the preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 18, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WI - AUGUST 18: Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers and Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders chat after the preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 18, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 10
Next
NFL 2022
Mar 22, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Matt Ryan (2) stand for a photo after a press conference to announce his joining of the team at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /

NFL trade no. 6: Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts

It’s not the most high-profile move on the list, but Matt Ryan is certainly one of the most accomplished and decorated NFL players to get moved via trade in the 2022 offseason.

After being taken third overall out of Boston College back in the 2008 NFL Draft, Ryan has entrenched himself in Atlanta Falcons history as the team’s best quarterback ever.

He helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance and was named league MVP during the 2016 season.

Ryan just turned 37 years of age. That is by no means “old” for a quarterback anymore in today’s NFL and Tom Brady is really rewriting those unwritten rules of Father Time.

Still, some quarterbacks do succumb to Father Time, and the Falcons have been drifting in mediocrity — or worse — over the last few years.

For those reasons — Ryan aging and the Falcons not having team success — it has been hard for most on the outside looking in to get really pumped about this move.

Ryan threw 20 touchdowns last season for the Falcons and while I don’t think this move is going to accomplish for the Colts what adding Matthew Stafford did for the Los Angeles Rams last year, I do think Ryan better fits the type of leader the Colts need at QB compared to Carson Wentz.

Ryan is a veteran presence whose experience can help this Colts team similar to what we saw from Philip Rivers in 2020.

Home/NFL