Once again, the Indianapolis Colts have a new veteran quarterback. It’s been band-aid after band-aid for the Colts since Andrew Luck retired, and the next man up will be Matt Ryan.
The veteran starter was traded for a third round pick after 14 seasons with the Falcons, ending an era in Atlanta. He now joins a Colts roster ready to win, looking to get them one notch better than they were with Carson Wentz last season.
Indianapolis missed the playoffs last season after an embarrassing loss to the Jaguars in week 18. The Titans ran away with the AFC South, despite losing Derrick Henry midseason. A slow start for the Colts ultimately did them in.
Now they start new at quarterback again, with a slight upgrade in the soon to be 37 year old Ryan. With Atlanta last season, Ryan threw for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Admittedly, the Falcons were a complete mess last season, and Ryan is in a much more stable environment in Indy.
According to a couple of major sportsbooks, the Titans and Colts are now tied at the top of the odds to win the AFC South.
The Colts became a media darling during their hot streak last season as Jonathan Taylor went on a tear to bring their season back to life. Now with another veteran under center, you can probably expect to see the Colts become a trendy pick to retake the AFC South crown.
The Titans are just looking to bring (most) of the band back next season. Jon Robinson has replaced the always-injured Julio Jones with Robert Woods, while adding veteran tight end Austin Hooper. Of course, they’re banking on Derrick Henry getting back to being Derrick Henry after his foot injury, too.
Jacksonville is a distant third at +600 to win the AFC South, while the Texans are found all the way down at +2200.