The Colts have signed the perfect QB to support Lamar Jackson

The Indianapolis Colts are in desperate need of a quarterback, and they’ve picked an option that’s familiar with head coach Shane Steichen’s offense.

The Indianapolis Colts have a quarterback conundrum on their hands. They saw the Carolina Panthers move into first place in the NFL Draft, ahead of the Houston Texans.

Given that, the top two quarterback prospects will go down with the top two picks, leaving Indianapolis with the third-best option. Not to mention that the best options in free agency are all but gone.

There’s a move they could make – trade for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, but it’s unclear if the Colts would seriously consider it and give him a massive contract.

But on Thursday, the Colts made an addition to their quarterback depth chart.

According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Colts have agreed to terms with former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew on a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

Colts tap Gardner Minshew to fill quarterback need

Minshew was an obvious choice for Indianapolis, having spent the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. His offensive coordinator was none other than current Colts head coach Shane Steichen. Thus, he has an understanding of his offense.

For the past two seasons, Minshew has received starts with the Eagles in place of Jalen Hurts due to injury. In 2021, Minshew threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 33-18 win over the New York Jets in Week 13 that year. Then, in 2022, he started Weeks 16 and 17 against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, respectively.

Minshew completed 42 of 72 pass attempts for 629 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in the aforementioned 2022 starts.

As of now, Minshew is the Colts’ QB1 as they released Matt Ryan from his contract. If Indianapolis were to draft one of the top four quarterbacks, Minshew could realistically be the starter at the start of the 2023 season. As for fans wondering if they’ll make a move for Jackson, we really don’t know. if they’re going to make a move for him, given that it would cost two first rounds and an almost fully guaranteed contract to acquire him from the Ravens.