NFL Report: The Colts finally trade QB Sam Ehlinger for $70 million… See More…
The Colts have their starting quarterback on a rookie contract for the next 4 seasons, so the position is covered with him. Time and time again they have implied that AR showed enough for the Colts to think of him as the guy moving forward, and unless the injuries continue piling on, he will be the quarterback of the franchise for the next decade or so.
We only have a season of proof, but Richardson suffered two injuries in just five games, so his long-term and game-to-game viability are heavily in doubt right now, which is why the Colts would be wise to have a stable backup behind him that can either come in on relief duty or start a couple of games and not completely derail the offense.
Veteran Gardner Minshew was exactly that last season, but he is set to become an unrestricted free-agent, and he could be looking for a starting job on some quarterback needy teams this offseason, for example the Patriots, Raiders, or the Falcons to name a few potential candidates.
If Minshew’s market is not too hot, then he would be the perfect backup moving forward, and would already know the offense and have some chemistry with the receivers. I would pay Minshew up to 5M per year, for the remainder of Richardson’s rookie deal.
After that it is Sam Ehlinger as the third option, and after starting a few games in the 2022-23 season, he did not play a single snap last year, and is mostly just a depth guy right now. He is under contract for next year, and once that finishes he could be looking at backup spots in the NFL.
