Reich excited about Ryan's fit with Colts: 'We needed each other'

Colts head coach Frank Reich can't wait to see Matt Ryan under center in Indy.

The Colts acquired Ryan through a trade with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason in a move Reich believes offers mutual benefits for his team and the veteran quarterback.

"I think everyone saw from the outside that this is a good fit," Reich said Sunday during the NFL's annual league meeting, according to Michael Baca of NFL.com. "Like, people can universally agree you got a guy who's still playing at a high level with a team and roster that is built to make some noise. We needed each other."

The Colts have lacked consistent play at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired in 2018. Ryan will become the club's fifth different Week 1 signal-caller in as many seasons.

Indy began looking for a new passer this offseason after trading Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders, ending his stint in Indianapolis after just one campaign.

Meanwhile, the Falcons signaled the start of a rebuild by moving on from Ryan after 14 seasons. They sent the signal-caller to the Colts in exchange for a third-round pick.

Though Ryan will turn 37 in May, Reich still thinks the former MVP has a lot left in the tank.

"The first thing I'm looking at is, is the accuracy still there and what does the arm look like," said Reich, who's entering his fifth season in Indy. "So, dig into every throw from the last couple (of) years. Look at the ball velocity, look at the length, look at the accuracy, look at the movement skills, and I see no diminishing physical skills."

Now six years removed from his 2016 MVP campaign, Ryan has tossed more than 30 touchdowns in a season just once over the last five seasons. The four-time Pro Bowler, who led the NFL in completions in 2019 and 2020, completed 67% of his passes for 3,968 yards and 20 touchdowns against 12 interceptions across 17 games in 2021.

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