Sam Ehlinger reacts postgame to Colts' decision to start Matt Ryan

Sam Ehlinger’s two-game stint as the Colts’ starting quarterback came to an end Sunday, as Indianapolis interim coach Jeff Saturday opted to start Matt Ryan against the Raiders.

The decision ended up working out well, as the Colts went on to win 25-20 to start off Saturday’s interim coaching tenure 1-0. Ehlinger was asked postgame about Saturday’s decision to start Ryan, and responded to the decision with nothing but respect for the veteran quarterback.

“I was happy for Matt,” Ehlinger said according to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. “He’s had a heck of a career — and I get to continue to learn from him? That’s gonna be invaluable for the rest of my career.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Ryan, who began the season as the starting quarterback before sitting out Week 8 and 9, finished the game 21-of-28 passing for 222 yards and a touchdown and also ran in another score. His lone passing touchdown of the day came with five minutes remaining as he found Parris Campbell on a 35-yard score to put Indianapolis in front for good.

Compare that to Ehlinger’s two starts, and the difference is clear. The second-year pro out of Texas failed to throw a touchdown in either game, was sacked 11 times, threw one interception and managed just 304 yards passing. Not surprisingly, the Colts went 0-2 in those contests.

Thanks to the solid performance of Matt Ryan, it would seem likely that Sam Ehlinger remains on the bench for the start of next week’s game. However, he’ll hope to continue soaking up valuable lessons from the four-time Pro Bowler and wait for his time to come eventually.

The Colts will next face the undefeated Eagles at 1 p.m. ET next Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.