With a 4-12-1 record at the end of the 2022 season, the Indianapolis Colts had a horrible season. In previous years, the team had rotated through seasoned quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, and Philip Rivers, with little continuity at the position. The squad decided to begin the rebuild in 2023 even though they had been competitive prior to 2022.
With the fourth overall pick of the 2023 Draught, the Colts selected quarterback Anthony Richardson out of the University of Florida. Richardson, a young and gifted quarterback, was selected to start the first game. Richardson was sidelined for the remainder of the season after spraining his AC joint in Week 5.
Gardner Minshew has long been an underestimated quarterback
Since then, the Colts have turned to their March 2023 signing, Gardner Minshew. With the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars in recent years, Minshew has a wealth of expertise. He’s not only kept Indianapolis competitive this season, but he may be helping them win a division title and a postseason berth.
It was a circuitous route for Gardner Minshew to become an NFL starter. After attending Northwest Mississippi Community College and East Carolina, he concluded his education at Washington State. Minshew earned the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and was fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting during his one season with the Cougars.
Teams were quite impressed with Minshew’s demeanour and intelligence, and the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the 178th overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draught despite the fact that he didn’t have any noteworthy physical tools that would make him an early draught pick despite his performance in college.
2019 saw Minshew secure the position of backup to Nick Foles. But after suffering an injury in the opening game, Foles was back to playing quarterback full-time right away. “Minshew Mania” began here, as the eccentric, moustachioed signal caller would go on to start twelve games, win six of them (three of which were comebacks in the fourth quarter), and throw 21 touchdown passes against just six interceptions.
