The Colts have their starting quarterback on the roster. That is a new but refreshing feeling.
For years, the Indianapolis Colts have entered the offseason in need of a starting quarterback. Sometimes the need was driven by circumstances outside their control. Other times, it was driven by a lack of their own ability to assess the situation or player. Whether you believe Anthony Richardson is the long term answer or if you still have doubts, he will be the starter in 2024. The Colts are tied to him for at least the next 3-4 years barring some sort of complete change of fortune. That sense of security or at least knowledge that you know what you have is a nice change of pace from recent history.
I can still hear the boos ringing through Lucas Oil as Andrew Luck left the field for the last time. What looked like a franchise quarterback under center for the next decade soon turned into a whirlwind of quarterback instability, something the franchise hadn’t truly faced in over twenty years. Overnight, the Colts went from a team that knew exactly who was going to be the quarterback to teams like the Bears or Browns; a revolving door at the position.
The Colts were left with no choice but to ride with Jacoby Brissett that year considering they were merely weeks away from the start of the regular season. Although it was touted as no issue to make the change, it was abundantly evident he wasn’t the long term solution.
The Colts then quickly turned to the first in a series of bandages to cover the hole left by Luck’s departure. They nabbed Philip Rivers who was extremely effective in the role. The only issue was that he saw it as a one-year deal, and the Colts saw it as at least two. That lack of communication and foresight led to a trade to acquire Carson Wentz. He put up solid numbers on paper, but there was just something off about his performance. Jim Irsay didn’t like the fit at all and made sure he was gone after just one season.
Next up was “there is plenty left in the tank” Matt Ryan. Considering the fact he spent last year in the booth calling games and didn’t have the arm strength to get the ball down the field, I would say that was another misestimation by the team. What they “saw” on tape didn’t translate, so they were forced to look elsewhere. Fortunately, 2022 was such a disaster that it put them in a position to select a prime quarterback with the fourth overall selection.
Yes, we all know the history of how bad it has been. No, we don’t know what the future holds for Anthony Richardson as the “man”. We can hope he will be around the next one to two decades and can bring stability to the position and a championship to Indianapolis. While that is the hope, it is still unknown. All we know is we won’t have to spend the next two months debating about who the Colts should trout out on day one of the 2024 season. He is already in the building.
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