Will Matt Ryan Play Colts' Preseason Opener?
The Indianapolis Colts open their preseason slate against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST. Will fans get their first look at new quarterback Matt Ryan in action?
Colts head coach Frank Reich was asked this week if there was a plan in place for Ryan against the Bills.
“I mean play – like we said, maybe a quarter, maybe a little less," said Reich. "We’ll just take it as the flow of the game."
From Reich's words on Wednesday, Colts fans can expect to see Ryan in action at least for a series against the Bills. Ryan has been exceedingly sharp during training camp, but he'll face a different test in the Bills who are ranked No. 1 on NFL.com's Power Rankings.
Ryan didn't play a single snap of the preseason in 2021 with the Atlanta Falcons under first-year head coach Arthur Smith, but that doesn't look to be the case with Reich and the Colts.
From his comments this week, it sounded like Ryan missed playing last year and is looking forward to getting his feet wet in live action with his new team.
"I’ve always liked getting out there and getting some reps and doing those kind of things, but that’s not my call," said Ryan of preseason games. "That’s up to Frank (Reich) and Chris (Ballard), and they’ve got to determine what’s best for the team."
"I mean honestly, I’ve always felt it was important," said Ryan. "Different coaches and different years have different points of emphasis but I’ve always felt like there is a lot of work that gets done this time of the year – some of it in games, some of it in practices."
"So, I don’t really think my approach has changed all that much throughout my career."
Ryan has always been a good company man, always protecting his teammates and the organization, but he's made it clear he'd like to play.
"I mean the last two years have been odd," Ryan answered when asked about not playing last year with the Falcons. "I mean, the year before that we had no preseason games too. I don’t know how else to answer it," Ryan laughed after a long pause.
Ryan wants to play.
Reich wants Ryan to play.
Colts fans should get their first look at Ryan on the field on Saturday when the Colts take on the Bills.
