Why 2023 Colts Camp is the Most Important in Franchise History

The Indianapolis Colts are embarking on a new frontier for the franchise. With training camp underway and in the earliest stages, head coach Shane Steichen will look to prepare his young squad and quarterback Anthony Richardson for the NFL season.

With a fresh feeling from the roster to the coaching staff for the first time in a while, this training camp is different than previous seasons. But, there is also the chance that this year’s may be one of the most crucial in the history of the Indianapolis franchise. This piece will detail a few reasons why.

Most Uncertainty Since 1998

Back in the year 1998, the Colts were coming off year after year of either underwhelming or below-average seasons. 1997 would see the Colts finish last in their division and 3-13 overall.

Going into 1998, there was uncertainty about the future of the Colts in Indianapolis. While it’s old news now since Peyton Manning was drafted, it was arguably the most important training camp at the time for the franchise.

The reason that Andrew Luck’s 2012 training camp isn’t on here is that the team had success for a long-time under the aforementioned Manning at that point. There was nowhere near the number of questions surrounding Jim Irsay’s Colts as in 1998.

Manning and former Colts coach Jim Mora would be the tandem for training camp, and that is where it all started for the legendary Indianapolis QB. After that season, it seemed Manning never stopped developing, and it helped to get off to a solid start in practice.

It might be true that Richardson isn’t as Day 1 ready as Manning was, but it’s equally important for Richardson to have as effective of a first training camp as ever.

Post-Luck Era Mediocrity

While it might not be as bad as the pre-Manning era, the years following Luck’s retirement haven’t been good at all.

The Colts have made a lone playoff appearance (2020) and didn’t snag the win. Since 2019 their record stands at 31-35-1 with four different week-one starters to boot.

The above-mentioned record might not be horrific, but when it’s accompanied by how much change and roster movement has occurred, it adds nothing positive.

That is another reason why this training camp is highly important for the rookies and new additions to the team. It’s yet another time of uncertainty, even with Steichen, Richardson, and a bevy of high-potentials on the roster and coaching staff.

Players like Samson Ebukam, JuJu Brents, Darius Rush, and others are new to the Colts by different avenues. This makes it a key for them to start understanding the new situation in Indianapolis by getting the ball rolling in Steichen’s first season as the commander of the squad.

Anthony Richardson’s Abilities/Potential

This is similar to Manning walking into the league as a rookie but with a different context.

Richardson is far less experienced than Manning was and has a rookie head coach as well with Steichen. Despite these facts, they could also become one of the most potent head coach/QB combos in the NFL for years to come.

Given how Steichen’s philosophy is a perfect fit for Richardson’s strengths, it puts this potential through the stratosphere. But, this might not get realized if Richardson doesn’t grasp things quickly and have an effective first camp.

While it’s somewhat assumed the Colts will struggle at times with Richardson (as Manning and Luck did in their rookie years), it’s also fun to think of how he can blossom with a team that is building the roster and coaching staff to suit him. Look for Steichen to have his mind laser-focused on giving Richardson the best training camp possible to get him as prepared as he can for NFL speed.

It’s fair to say that every season is an important training camp for any NFL team. But, there are levels to it when referring to the direction and history of a franchise. For Indianapolis, there hasn’t been this much of an “unknown” in a long time, meaning that this camp could hold more weight than any other in recent memory.

As the regular season slowly approaches for Indianapolis, all eyes will be on the development of this young team and their highly talented QB during the remainder of the practices.

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