Sam Ehlinger and 4 best Colts’ QB options after Wentz trade

How Sam Ehlinger fits as the Colts’ starting QB?

I’ve got to imagine that the idea when Ballard and the Colts picked Ehlinger in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft was not for him to become the starting quarterback the following year. But that might be the situation the Colts find themselves in ahead of the 2022 season.

At this moment, the Colts really only have Ehlinger and the former Bowling Green and Florida International QB James Morgan left in their quarterback room. And as many have pointed out in the last few days, the Colts don’t even have a first-round draft pick this year.

The good news, though, for the Colts if they do decide to roll with Ehlinger as their Week 1 starting quarterback in 2022 is the fact that he led the team to a win in his only preseason start during his rookie campaign. Ehlinger looked a lot more in control of the Colts’ offense in his lone preseason start last year compared to the former Indy quarterback Jacob Eason.

Ehlinger was a very successful and consistent starting quarterback for the Longhorns in the last three years in his run on the Forty Acres. At this point, it’s at least worth Reich and the Colts giving Ehlinger a shot as their starting quarterback entering Training Camp.

There is also a special dual-threat element to Ehlinger’s game that adds another dynamic to the Colts’ offense. Ehlinger is a much more elusive quarterback than the Colts had in Wentz. He’s also a much tougher quarterback that can fight through would-be tacklers without too much trouble when they take a poor approach.