Gardner Minshew will become a free agent this offseason. The Indianapolis Colts need to do whatever it takes to keep the veteran quarterback around.
Like every NFL team, the Colts will have several free agents following the season. The list includes players like Michael Pittman Jr., Zack Moss, Kenny Moore II, and Grover Stewart. Pittman is the most likeliest of the group to be re-signed. The fourth-year receiver is having a great season, catching 104 passes for 1,108 yards and four touchdowns. Besides Pittman, it’s unclear which free agents the Colts will ultimately bring back.
The team must re-sign Minshew. The 2019 sixth-round pick has done a fantastic job this year, filling in for injured rookie Anthony Richardson. As everyone knows, finding a quarterback that can help you win games isn’t an easy task. That’s one reason it’s in the best interest of the Colts to keep him around.
Why the Indianapolis Colts Need to Retain Gardner Minshew
Arguably the League’s Best Backup Quarterback
Minshew isn’t an elite quarterback by any stretch of the imagination. He isn’t on that Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow MVP-caliber level. However, he’s probably the best backup signal-caller in the NFL right now.
Minshew has fit right into head coach Shane Steichen’s offense in Indianapolis. The quarterback previously played with the Philadelphia Eagles when Steichen was the team’s offensive coordinator. This season, Minshew has completed 62.7 percent of his passes. He has thrown for 3,164 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. More importantly, he has contributed to the Colts’ overachieving 9-7 record.
Dealing with key injuries and suspensions, the Colts weren’t expected to win anywhere close to nine games. Now they’re just one win away from making the postseason. Indianapolis will clinch a playoff spot if they defeat the Houston Texans in Week 18. They’ll win the AFC South if they beat Houston and the Jacksonville Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans.
Gardner Minshew Serves as an Insurance Policy
It was a rough 2022 season for the Colts, who finished 4-12-1. Not-so-legendary performances from quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, and Nick Foles played a role in the team’s forgettable campaign.
Addressing the quarterback position, the Colts selected Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Getting drafted that high meant he was supposed to quickly emerge as the team’s franchise signal-caller.
Richardson started this season looking like a future superstar due to his spectacular running ability. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury during Week 5 forced him to miss the remainder of the year.
Richardson should return to the field next season and be the starter. However, re-signing Minshew makes sense as an insurance policy.
The injury bug bit Richardson hard. He left the Week 1 game early due to knee soreness. He was ruled out in Week 2 with a concussion, which caused him to miss the following game. Then he suffered a season-ending injury two weeks later.
Last March, the Colts signed Minshew to a one-year, $3.5 million contract that has an additional $2 million in incentives. That turned out to be a bargain deal for the team. Minshew, though, will seek a bigger payday as several teams will show interest in the offseason.
Indianapolis can’t afford to let him go. He’s a great mentor and has shown he can take over if Richardson (knock on wood) goes down once again next season.
Main Photo: Mark Lebryk – USA Today Sports
