Sam Ehlinger has made the Colts' 53-man roster

The Sam Ehlinger experience is going to continue for the Colts.

Indianapolis has decided to keep the third-string quarterback despite cutting the roster from 81 players to 53. With Matt Ryan and Nick Foles firmly entrenched in roles for this year and possibly next, the decision underscores the immense progress Ehlinger has made, including one of the best preseasons of any player in the NFL.

Ehlinger finished this preseason 24 of 29 for 289 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and just short of 10 yards per attempt. The production came with and against other backups and not in schemed situations, leading to a lot of off-the-cuff plays that fit Ehlinger's dual-threat, unorthodox style.

“Sam has had a phenomenal preseason," Colts coach Frank Reich said. "It’s hard to imagine having a better preseason than he’s had. He’s done everything he’s needed to do."

The decision is bold considering Ryan has missed just one game in 12 seasons and already has a backup like Foles, a 10-year veteran and Super Bowl MVP. The odds of Ehlinger stepping into meaningful reps this year or next are slim, whereas that would not be the case for keeping an extra running back, cornerback or safety, especially given the need for special teams contributors.

Some of those cuts are already coming through, with names such as running backs Philip Lindsay and D'Vonte Price and defensive tackle R.J. McIntosh already shown the door.

MORE: Tracking Colts moves as they cut roster to 53 players

But the Colts have invested time and energy into Ehlinger since they drafted him in the sixth round out of Texas a year ago, and they've decided they don't want to take the risk that he'll be claimed by another team on waivers.

Ever since the Colts signed Foles, Ehlinger has had to take even more of a long-term view on his role as a quarterback. At the recommendation of Colts general manager Chris Ballard, Ehlinger began training with renowned throwing coach Tom House in order to build a quicker and more natural throwing motion.

"There’s a lot of things, starting with my shoulder and the way that it’s shaped, the muscles that are dominating," Ehlinger said. "That’s just from a functional, fitness, working on the muscular stuff, and then from the biomechanical signature, working on timing. The sequencing of when you want to throw, all the way from the ground up, so working on all of those things, and then working on mechanical variables within that signature. There’s been a lot that’s gone into it.”

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Sam Ehlinger has made the 53-man roster