The Indianapolis Colts seem more than happy with their quarterback situation after landing Matt Ryan this offseason.
But if they went a different direction, Baker Mayfield was there for the taking.
The Atlanta Falcons called up the Colts amid their pursuit of Deshaun Watson, and that put the wheels in motion to send Ryan to Indianapolis, even though the Falcons ultimately missed out on Watson.
The Falcons signed Marcus Mariota, Ryan went to the Colts and Watson was traded to the Cleveland Browns. That put Mayfield in limbo, as he wants out and the Browns want to get rid of him, but largely because of finances actually trading him is a little complicated.
That said, Mayfield reportedly was interested in going to the Colts prior to them landing Ryan. Appearing on the “Rich Eisen Show” on Wednesday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard shed light on their interest in Mayfield.
"What I would tell you is we went through every quarterback that we thought was going to be available," Ballard said. "I remember telling (Jim) Irsay and Frank (Reich), 'We'll be patient, we will wait, and the best option will present itself to us at the right time.'
"I wish I could tell you I had some crystal ball and that I just knew this was going to happen. Sometimes, Rich, you just get a little lucky. Lord knows we needed some to be able to make this happen, but we evaluated every quarterback and ultimately we ended up with the one that we thought was the best option for us.
That last line tells you all you need to know: the Colts liked Ryan over Mayfield.
At this point, Mayfield likely will be with the Browns for a while longer. The Carolina Panthers addressed their quarterback situation, and they represented the most logical fit for Mayfield. Perhaps someone this summer will swing a trade for Mayfield, otherwise he might end up stuck in Cleveland longer than either side wants.
Related
