I think it rare for a QB to have success the first season they changed teams. Yes there's Tom Brady but few in the history of the NFL are a Tom Brady.
You can't be going through veteran QBs every season especially when the rest of the roster sucks.

Matt Stafford???

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Probably the biggest exception to that rule was Peyton Manning ...... in 2012, it took Manning all of 6 games to essentially incorporate the Indianapolis Colts offense into his new team (the Denver Broncos) on his way to one of his his typical outstanding seasons. Brady had a considerably better defense with the Buccaneers in 2020 than Manning had with the Broncos in 2012 ...... in fact, the brain-freeze by the Broncos' defensive backs in the playoff game against the Ravens probably cost him a Super Bowl that season. The Broncos led by a score of 35-28 with 30 seconds left to play, and the Ravens had 0 timeouts left ...... yet they allowed Joe Flacco to throw a 70-yard TD pass to tie the game, and send it into overtime. Also, one of the Ravens' TD's earlier in that game was the result of a pick-six in which a blatant pass interference wasn't called. And even with that, he still led the Broncos to 4 touchdowns after that pick-6, and had them in position to win the game in regulation before the defensive disaster.

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It may be rare, but what would make it even more rare would be if said QB were washed up.

Bingo! If the Colts are foolish enough to bring Ryan back next season, thinking he just needed a little time to adjust, they will be a laughing stock!

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I agree that it would be foolish to bring Matt Ryan back next year, but I don't think that he is necessarily washed-up. I think that he is about where Philip Rivers was at when he QB'd the Colts for one season in 2020 ...... a once great quarterback whom is slightly passed his prime.

But right now, the Colts don't need that kind of QB in 2023 and beyond, they need a more long-term solution. I think that if Ryan had had the blocking that Rivers had in 2020 and that Carson Wentz had in 2021, the Colts would be about 9-3 or 10-2 right now ...... but being that the Colts' offensive line took a plunge from one of the best in the NFL to one of the worst in the NFL this season, it's time to let Ryan go after the completion of the 2022 season and work on getting that offensive line back up to where it was prior to this season.

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The difference is Rivers threw with anticipation. The ball came out quickly and on time. Ryan rarely seems like he knows where he is going with the ball.

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Correct ...... but the almost completely immobile Rivers had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL blocking for him. Ryan has one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL blocking for him. In the playoff game against the Bills that season, Rivers was literally untouched by the Bills' defense ...... forget about being sacked, the Bills literally did not get their hands on Rivers for the entire game.

If Rivers, who had even less mobility in 2020 than Ryan does now, had had this offensive line blocking for him, the Colts probably would have gone about 4-13 instead of 11-6 ...... the only "anticipation" that he would have had was anticipating which defensive lineman or linebacker would kill him shortly after the ball was snapped to him.

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1. The Oline played much better 2 years ago.
2. The receiving group across the board was better.
3. Better group of RBs, fewer injuries.

Its the law of accumulation, a lot of little things add up. There is no magic cure for this team, and in particular the offensive linemen. It doesnt matter the coach or GM. They need to go to group therapy or dump the guys who dont care find some people with some guts.

Putting a rookie Peyton Manning would back there with this group would have ruined him.

David Carr would agree.