Matt Ryan's time as the Colts' starter has come to an end. Again.
Interim head coach Jeff Saturday announced on Wednesday that Ryan would no longer be starting for the Colts after their historic loss to the Vikings in Week 15. Instead, Indianapolis will roll with Nick Foles as its starter.
Foles is the third different starting quarterback of the year for the Colts. He opened the season as the backup to Ryan but was eventually leapfrogged on the depth chart by Sam Ehlinger in the final weeks of the Frank Reich era.
Things changed when Saturday took the reins, and Foles was eventually promoted to the backup job. He said that he harbors no resentment over the early season decision to demote him and looks forward to getting a chance to start.
But why exactly did the Colts make this move on eve of their game against the Chargers? It was a simple choice for Saturday in the end.
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Why the Colts are starting Nick Foles over Matt Ryan
Saturday was complimentary of Ryan when announcing that the team was moving on to Foles.
"[I] think the world of Matt," Saturday said, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. "He’s a pro’s pro. It's not been the season he expected, nor the Colts as a whole."
However, the Colts' interim coach made it clear that he didn't think Ryan was doing enough to help his team win games.
"Ultimately, I feel like Nick will give us a better chance to go win these last three games," Saturday said.
Indeed, Ryan has struggled thus far during the 2022 NFL season. He leads the league in interceptions thrown with 13 and has posted middling-to-poor marks in most other major statistical categories. Below is a look at how he has fared in 2022 compared with the rest of the league.
Matt Ryan stats 2022
| Stat | Total | Rank |
| Comp. % | 67 | 9th |
| Passing yards | 3,057 | 14th |
| Pass TDs | 14 | 20th |
| INTs | 13 | 1st |
| Yards per attempt | 6.6 | 26th |
| Rating | 83.9 | 28th |
| QBR | 43.6 | 25th |
| PFF grade | 63.8 | 31st |
Add in that Ryan has been sacked a whopping 38 times in 12 starts this season and it's clear that his penchant for negative plays is too much for him to overcome.
This marks the second time this season that Ryan has been benched. Then-coach Frank Reich cited Ryan's performance as a problem in Week 8, when the Colts turned to Sam Ehlinger in relief of the 38-year-old veteran. Ehlinger didn't fare well in his two starts before Saturday went back to Ryan.
Now, Saturday will pivot to a different veteran in the 33-year-old Foles.
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Nick Foles stats
Foles has been a solid quarterback at times during his NFL career. He famously led the Eagles to a win in Super Bowl 52 after MVP candidate Carson Wentz was lost late in the season to a torn ACL, but he has had other good stretches during his career as well.
Most notably, Foles was a 10-game starter for the Eagles during the 2013 season, his second in the league. In Chip Kelly's offense, Foles posted 2,891 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions while recording an 8-2 record. His performance was strong enough that he made the Pro Bowl during that season.
Overall, Foles has a winning record as a starting quarterback. As his career stats show, his biggest issue has been accuracy and consistency in a starting role.
| Stat | Total |
| Record | 29-27 |
| Comp. % | 62.4 |
| Passing yards | 14,003 |
| Pass TDs | 82 |
| INTs | 43 |
| Yards per attempt | 6.8 |
| Rating | 97.3 |
Foles also completed 72.6 percent of his passes for 971 yards, six touchdowns and an interception in his three starts en route to a Super Bowl title in 2018. The Super Bowl MVP threw for 373 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the contest and famously caught the "Philly Special" pass from tight end Trey Burton for another score.
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Colts QB depth chart
Below is a look at the Colts' current quarterback depth chart after the announcement of Foles as a starter.
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Nick Foles |
| 2 | Sam Ehlinger |
| 3 | Matt Ryan |
Foles is entrenched in the No. 1 spot for at least this week. However, behind him, things were a bit less clear until it was announced that Ehlinger would backup Foles instead of Ryan.
Why is Ehlinger serving as the backup? Simply put, the Colts will probably look to cut Ryan next offseason, but he has some contractual guarantees for injuries. As such, the team won't want to risk him getting hurt stand them owing him $35 million in 2023.
So, by stashing Ryan on the third string, the Colts don't have to worry about the veteran getting injured and becoming even more of a contractual albatross in 2023.
It also will give the Colts a chance to look at Ehlinger once again if they so desire. He didn't look good in either of his starts when he replaced Ryan, but as the Colts assess their quarterback room, they will probably find some scrambling packages for the Texas product.
