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Quarterback Matt Ryan. IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK

Former MVP QB reflects on trade, difficult season with Colts

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 8/7/23

Quarterback Matt Ryan called his last 18 months "a s*** show" during an interview Monday with Josh Kendall of The Athletic.

"Matty Ice" was surprisingly traded to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2022 and his lone season with the team was a disaster. Ryan was limited to 12 games due to injury and multiple benchings, finished the year with the second-lowest passing yardage total (3,057) of his career, set a career-low in touchdown passes (14) and tossed 13 interceptions while posting a career-high 15 fumbles.

Ryan saw Frank Reich fired as head coach following a 3-5-1 start and the organization stun the league by hiring former All-Pro center Jeff Saturday to replace him. Saturday helped Indianapolis win their first game after his hire before losing seven straight to close the year, a streak that cost him his job.

The Colts finished with the second-worst record in the AFC at 4-12-1 and Ryan was released by the Colts in March. This spring he agreed to join CBS Sports as an NFL analyst in the fall, but he hasn't closed the door on returning to play under center.

Matt Ryan is eager to get his new career as a game analyst for CBS started — while still trying to process how his playing career (may have) ended.

Is Ryan retiring? More, with @JoshTheAthletic.https://t.co/WEpzfcKXQL pic.twitter.com/fZHbkQbrhW
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 7, 2023

Matt Ryan on his time in Indianapolis: "“It was one of those things I felt like I was going into it in a position where I’d probably seen it all in 14 years and then realize, ‘No you have not, you have not seen it all.'”https://t.co/4QEsXx83jZ
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) August 7, 2023

The 2016 MVP returned to Atlanta Falcons training camp last week for the first time since his 2022 trade away from the organization. Ryan reportedly still has a "strong relationship" with head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone and is expected to "remain a pillar" with the franchise.

The Boston College product also reportedly had dinner with Falcons owner Arthur Blank recently.

"Things kind of escalated quickly within one week and the entire dynamic changed," Ryan said of his trade to the Colts, per The Athletic. "That part was hard, there’s no doubt about it because for 14 years every morning I woke up, I knew exactly what was expected of me. When that changes, that part was difficult, but you get thrust in through a new situation so quickly."

Ryan told The Athletic that it's “hard to pick just one” part of last season with Indianapolis that stood out to him.

“It was one of those things, you know, I felt like I was going into it in a position where I’d probably seen it all in 14 years and then realize, ‘No you have not, you have not seen it all,'” he said. “There’s a lot of other things that are going to come up. It was a difficult year, there’s no doubt about it," he said.

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