5 NFL preseason predictions that have turned out false so far
By Brian Miller
Matt Ryan’s NFL career will make a positive jump after leaving Atlanta.
Matt Ryan spent his entire NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons and when he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, he was going to see a resurgence in his play and lead the Colts to a division championship.
Reality? It set it for Colts fans a long time ago and now the long-time veteran has been benched for the rest of the year barring an injury to Sam Ehlinger.
Ryan had started the first seven games of the Colts season but head coach Frank Reich opted to bench him in favor of Ehlinger in week eight declaring the youngster the starter for the rest of the year.
The Colts were 3-3-1 under Ryan and lost last week to the Titans under Ehlinger. Ryan had thrown nine touchdown passes to three interceptions for 2,008 yards. Ryan wasn’t getting the help his offense needed from the rushing attack and his decision-making wasn’t what the Colts had anticipated.
Ryan has earned a massive $117 million off his 2018 contract extension. The five-year deal will expire after the 2023 season but it is very unlikely at this point that the Colts will keep him around next season. Ryan is due to make $35 million according to OverTheCap.com and will cost $18 million in dead money against a $17 million savings. The trade was low, only a 2022 3rd-round pick, but the monetary part of the deal is going to be a big issue for the Colts.