How Shane Steichen's Diverse Quarterback Resume Can Aid Colts

New Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has had success with all different types of quarterbacks, which should help the team's search for one in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Tuesday Morning, the Indianapolis Colts made the official announcement declaring Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as the franchise's next head coach.

With the Colts' uncertainty at quarterback and currently holding the number four pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, all eyes are on which QB makes the most sense to pair with Steichen.

Seeing his recent success with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, many have argued that the Colts are primed to take one of the prospects who excel as a runner. But Steichen's success with QBs did not start with Hurts. So let's break down the style of QBs he's worked with and how each could impact the Colts' decision come draft day.

The Scrambler

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Steichen has served as the offensive coordinator with the Eagles the past two seasons under former Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. For most of that tenure, he's been the play caller and had a major role in building the offense around Hurts. Hurts came into the league known to be a great athlete for the QB position, but many had questions about if he would ever be someone who could excel as a passer. Even early in his NFL career, after replacing at the time starter (and former Colt) Carson Wentz during the 2020 season, Hurts showed his passing ability was inconsistent at best but showed flashes that it could be unlocked.

Enter Sirianni and Steichen, who take over the offense in 2021, which would be Hurts' first full year as a starter. It began with similar up-and-down inconsistencies for Hurts in the passing game. Sirianni ends up handing over play-calling duties to Steichen, and slowly but surely, you see Hurts begin to look more effective in that element. That success would also translate to team success as the team would go on a late run, winning five of their last six to squeak into the playoffs.

That glimpse of success was just a sneak peek, as in 2022, the Eagle's offense would be one of the most dominant groups in the entire league. In year two of Steichen's system, Hurts took a significant step forward, ending second in MVP voting. His individual success would lead the Eagles to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII, where despite a strong offensive performance, they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35.

Steichen saw firsthand the advantage of having a QB who can extend plays with their legs but also how much more possibilities it gives a coach when molding the offense. It's possible after working with Hurts the past two seasons Steichen would prefer a QB who also possesses that trait. The 2023 QB Draft class has multiple who could fit that bill, but one name that would be the most comparable to Steichen's experience with Hurts would be Anthony Richardson out of Florida.

The Balanced QB

[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Steichen's first full year as an offensive coordinator came in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers, which was the season the team decided to move on from Philip Rivers and drafted Justin Herbert out of Oregon. The team decided to sign veteran QB Tyrod Taylor to start and give the rookie time to develop before taking over the reins. A rare medical situation led to Herbert having to be the starting QB for 15 of the team's 17 games that season.

So Steichen not only had to change the offense to fit his new starting QB in an instant but he had to get a QB many deemed not ready to start immediately. Herbert hit the ground running from his first start against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City. Throwing for over 300 yards and losing in overtime, 23-20. Herbert would go on to throw for over 250 yards in twelve of his 15 starts and threw for over 300 yards in eight of his 15. It's not often you see a rookie season where the QB looks so prepared and flat-out impressive in the light Herbert was that season. And Steichen deserves a lot of credit for the success.

With Herbert, Steichen got to build an offense around a big-armed QB who also had above-average mobility. He was able to implement the vertical passing game seamlessly while also having the benefit of his QB being able to extend plays when needed. If Steichen views his time with Herbert as his ideal QB situation, a couple of options in this upcoming draft that compare are Kentucky's Will Levis and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud.

The Pocket Passer:

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Steichen's first experience in the NFL as an offensive coordinator came in an interim role and a surprise as he took over midseason with the Chargers in 2019 after Ken Whisenhunt was fired. The QB Steichen inherited was Rivers. Rivers was nearing the end of his career, and his arm strength was declining.

After starting 3-5, the team was nearing desperation, and because of this, even when the passing game and Rivers were struggling, they kept having to tinker it and look for ways for it to be effective. This season of watching his passing game struggle could have been more impactful on Steichen's mindset and knowledge as an offensive mind than any year of his career.

Steichen may not have got to be the offensive coordinator for a successful Philip Rivers season, but before becoming his interim offensive coordinator, he was his QB coach from 2016-18 (and half of 2019). During that time, Rivers threw for over 4,300 yards each year and threw for over 30 touchdowns in two of the three years.

The two became very close during their time together, and Rivers raves about Steichen anytime he's given a chance to speak about him. Steichen even made a point to say thank you to Rivers during his opening speech of his Introductory presser with the Colts. Additionally, Colts.com released a statement from Rivers that he shared after hearing about Shane being hired as the Colts newest head coach.

Super fired up for Shane. I loved the time we had together with the Chargers. I’ve stayed in touch with him over the last few years. It was just a matter of time before he got the opportunity to be a head coach. His offensive mind and feel for calling a game is elite. He has great passion for the game and love for the players. The Colts got a heck of a coach and person.

If Steichen's opinion of Rivers comes into play and he wants a quarterback that he can mold to a game plan, he would have called for prime Phillip Rivers. The options in this class are a little slimmer to fit that mold. The best fit would be Stroud, who, of the QBs in this class, is the best pure pocket passer and has been praised for his mental strengths at the position and as a person throughout his collegiate career.

© Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Colts have made it very clear all offseason long how important the decisions they had in front of them were. The first to be made was the head coaching position, where they interviewed 13 total candidates and held the most extensive search of the cycle before naming Steichen their head coach.

A huge reason given throughout the presser from Jim Irsay and Chris Ballard was the pairing of Steichen as an offensive mind with a young QB of the future. With that choice made, the team now must switch their focus to the draft, where they must now decide which QB can Steichen get the most out of. And as his history shows, Steichen's experience with multiple different styles of QBs opens the door for each of the top four in this class to now be on the table for the team come April.

---

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and Twitter.