Gardner Minshew Reveals Role With Colts in 2023
After the way the 2022 season ended for the Indianapolis Colts, it was a safe bet that the quarterback room would look much different heading into 2023.
The first indication was when the Colts finished 4-12-1 on the season after starting all three quarterbacks on their active roster for at least two games in 2022. When you have multiple quarterbacks starting games, not due to injury, you really do not have a quarterback.
The next indication came last week at the start of the new league year when Matt Ryan was cut from the team. After throwing only 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and 15 fumbles, Ryan was not the answer for the Colts at the most important position in football. Paying him $35 million to be the backup did not make sense for Indy, and releasing him affords the Colts $17 million in cap space.
With Ryan gone, all that remained was Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger. While Foles is still under contract, the Colts are expected to release him if he does not retire, adding another $2 million in cap space. Ehlinger is expected to remain as he is still on his rookie deal.
With the Colts holding the No.4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it is all but certain they will use that pick on one of the top quarterbacks in the class. The hope is that whoever they draft will be the next franchise quarterback, ending the QB carousel Indy has been on for years.
But that still leaves a viable bridge/veteran backup option for the Colts. Ehlinger is entering his third season and does not have the experience that the role requires.
Enter Gardner Minshew, the former Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback. The Colts agreed to terms with the former sixth-round pick on Thursday as Minshew reunites with Colts head coach Shane Steichen. Steichen coached Minshew as the Eagles' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
“Fired up to be working with Shane again," Minshew said on Friday. "He’s a guy I have a ton of respect for, not only as a coach but just as a guy. I’m really excited for how he is going to be as a head coach.”
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Minshew and the Colts seemed like a natural fit. Minshew was a free agent looking for another opportunity as the Eagles are set at quarterback with Jalen Hurts. He already knows Steichen's playbook, giving him an edge over the rest of the quarterbacks on the team.
It also helps that Steichen has a connection with quarterbacks, having success with signal callers wherever he has coached. Minshew took note of that in their two seasons together.
“One of the biggest things about Shane is he’s just straight up," Minshew admitted. "He tells it like it is. He’s himself all the time. I think that allows for open and honest communication, especially in the quarterback room and that’s imperative. The connection between the quarterback and the play caller, you really have to understand not only what he’s calling but why he’s calling it. I think that’s huge.”
This offseason was the first time Minshew had been a free agent in his NFL career. He was traded from the Jaguars to the Eagles after two seasons. But from the jump, Minshew himself thought Indy would be a good landing spot for him.
"I was fired up to come here and work with Shane," he explained. "This is a place I thought was a possibility I could’ve came in the draft. I had some great meetings with Chris Ballard, and Nick Sirianni (current Eagles head coach, former Colts offensive coordinator) was actually here at the time. I really like Shane. I love how Chris Ballard builds teams. They always have high character, hardworking teams that play hard and love football, and that shows up on tape. I’ve always had a lot of respect for how they do things here.”
Minshew comes to the Colts with plenty of starting experience. He took over as the starting quarterback for the Jaguars during his rookie season, starting 12 of the team's 16 games. In 23 games (20 starts), Minshew went 501-of-797 (62.9%) for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with the Jags.
Minshew served as the backup to Hurts with the Eagles, filling in at the end of blowouts or when Hurts was injured. In nine games (four starts) with the Eagles, Minshew was 85-of-136 (62.5%) for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.
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For quarterbacks of Minshew's pedigree and talent, they typically look for teams where they have the opportunity to start. But Minshew says nothing has been promised to him in Indy.
“I really don’t have any expectations," answered Minshew when asked what the Colts' expectations were for him. "I’ve come here to work hard and to have fun. I think if we do that every day we’re going to end up in a good place. Just get better every day and we’ll end up where we do.”
Minshew signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal that can be worth up to $5.5 million. The incentives are reportedly easy to achieve for Minshew, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The incentives are assumed to revolve around playing time for the fifth-year quarterback. If that is the case, it could signal that the Colts plan on Minshew being the starter to begin the season. Minshew does not see it that way.
“First off, assuming is always a dangerous game. Like I said, I’ve come here to work hard and to help the team in any way I can. So whatever that role is, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability."
The truth is, Minshew and the Colts do not know what his role will be to start the season. What they do know is that Minshew will be ready for whatever role is required of him. If Minshew needs to be the starter to begin the season, he can do that. If Minshew needs to be a veteran backup to support the rookie, he can do that as well.
"Everybody is pushing each other," Minshew said. "That’s the way to get better, to really compete and then at the end of the day we’re all trying to win. Self improvement and winning, that’s got to be kind of the foundation. Once whatever decision is made, whatever happens, it’s all in support of whoever is out there and all in support of helping the team win.”
The Colts needed a reliable veteran in the quarterback room, regardless of who the rookie quarterback will be. Minshew is that guy and someone who could end up being a valuable asset for Indy in 2023.
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