Colts Owner On QB Matt Ryan: 'Up There With Peyton Manning'

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is drinking the Matt Ryan Kool-Aid. Following back-to-back wins, Irsay is holding new Colts QB Matt Ryan in the highest-regard. Irsay likened Ryan to Colts legend Peyton Manning.

Put the Kool-Aid down.

"I'll tell you, he is a steely-eyed missile man," Irsay said of Ryan, via NFL.com. "I've been around a lot of leaders and I'd put him right up there with Peyton Manning."

Maybe Irsay's a prisoner of the moment.

Though Ryan threw three touchdowns and wasn't intercepted in last week's win over Jacksonville, he's otherwise been very unManning-like. Before last Sunday, Ryan had thrown five touchdowns against seven interceptions. He's been sacked 21 times and the Colts, a trendy pre-season Super Bowl pick, have struggled to a 3-2-1 record.

Matt Ryan #2 of the Indianapolis Colts (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Colts Traded For Ryan In March

Irsay, who also stated his case that this Colts team has the potential to be "outstanding," continued praising his team's quarterback. "A really outstanding, tough guy who doesn't back down. Often the best in fourth quarter and you don't ever want to count out Matt Ryan," Irsay told NFL.com of Ryan.

Sounds like a man trying to convince himself that owning 37-year-old Ryan more than $50 million over the next two seasons, isn't a bad thing.

In case you spent the previous decade on a Chuck Noland-like Cast Away, spending your Sunday's with your volleyball buddy, Wilson, let me quickly catch you up to speed on Manning.

Peyton was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. He's a five-time league MVP. There's also two Super Bowl wins (one in which he earned game MVP honors). And then there's the handful of records: most touchdowns in a season (55), passing yards in a season (5,477), just to name a few.

Manning threw 539 touchdowns in his career.

Matt Ryan only trails Peyton by 164...

Peyton Manning Spent 14 Years With The Colts

Apparently still parched, Irsay couldn't keep himself from more of the Matt Ryan Kool-Aid. "He's a winner," Irsay added. "He's a fighter and our team is taking on that temperament around him, which is exciting. More will be revealed, no question about it. But we're encouraged, we really are."

Ryan and the Colts visit Tennessee this afternoon for an AFC South meeting with the Titans. Fittingly, Manning played four years at the University of Tennessee.

And that's where the Ryan-Manning comparisons should end.

Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF