New Indianapolis Colts veteran starting quarterback Matt Ryan reminds one of the franchise’s all-time great players, now freshly turned wide receivers coach, Reggie Wayne, of the old ‘Sheriff’ in town, the legendary Peyton Manning (via Fox59/CBS4’s Brett Bensley):
How badly does Reggie Wayne wish he could have played with Matt Ryan?
“Man, it makes me almost want to throw up because he reminds me of Peyton so much.”#Colts #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/RagEXGVv8y
— Brett Bensley (@brettbensley) May 4, 2022
Of course, having played together for 10 NFL seasons, Wayne knows a thing or two about what made Manning truly tick, what he was like on a daily basis in the locker room and in film study, on the practice field, in the huddle, and the leadership needed from the top down at quarterback to ultimately win an elusive Super Bowl Championship.
After all, it was those preparations—that constant grinding mindset, the unrelenting hard work, and overall accountability, that helped the Colts’ prolific pairing connect for 76 touchdowns, in what was the most successful era of Indianapolis Colts franchise history.
Colts team owner Jim Irsay recently made a guest appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’, and he too had high praise for Ryan, a former franchise quarterback who like Manning has won an NFL MVP Award and has played this game at its highest level.
Specifically, Irsay noted that Ryan has brought the ‘consistency and leadership’ that was simply lacking at times last season from his team—for a squad that shockingly collapsed late:
“Bringing in Matt Ryan was essential for us because we needed consistency & leadership.. he is such a perfect mix here & it’s very exciting” ~@JimIrsay#PMSLive #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/Hvng0YoKTx
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 2, 2022
To me (and no let’s not turn this political), but Ryan’s arrival has been similar to Manning and that he almost feels ‘presidential’.
He just dresses, looks, and speaks the part so eloquently (albeit without the southern drawl), and you can already sense his veteran presence and instant impact within the walls on W. 56th Street at Colts H.Q.—from even afar.
That should hopefully translate onto the field, where the Colts will assuredly have a more consistent and steadying starting quarterback behind center on a weekly basis, and whose impeccable practice habits and top-notch professionalism should positively impact a lot of the team’s younger players to help bring out their best—and in turn, the team’s collectively.