Colts Benching Matt Ryan Again, Nick Foles Will Start

According to Mike Chappell, the Colts are benching veteran QB Matt Ryan for the second time this season. 

In his place, veteran QB Nick Foles will start for Indianapolis in Week 16 against the Chargers. 

The Colts were on the losing side of the biggest comeback in NFL history on Saturday against the Vikings, so something had to give. 

Ryan, 37, is a former first-round pick of the Falcons back in 2008. He was entering the final year of his six-year, $103.75 million contract when he agreed to a new five-year, $150 million extension with the Falcons in 2018 that included $100 million guaranteed.

Ryan’s contract has been restructured multiple times in recent years for cap space, which is why his cap figures have annually been so high. He was due base salaries of $17.2 million and $21.7 million in the final two years of his deal when the Falcons traded him to the Colts for a third-round pick in 2022. 

In 2022, Ryan has appeared in 12 games for the Colts and completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,057 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Foles, 33, is a former third-round pick of the Eagles back in 2012. Philadelphia traded Foles to the Rams back in 2015 in a deal for QB Sam Bradford and he later signed an extension with the team.

Foles lasted just over a year with the Rams before he was released and later signed on with the Chiefs. After a year in Kansas City, Foles agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract with the Eagles. 

From there, Foles signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Jaguars that included $50.125 million guaranteed. He was traded to the Bears in 2020. Chicago released him earlier this offseason and he signed on with the Colts. 

In 2021, Foles appeared in one game for the Bears and completed 24 of 35 attempts for 250 yards and one touchdown.