Before the Colts drafted Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall, the club signed Gardner Minshew to help out at quarterback.
Richardson is already splitting first-team reps with Minshew at Indianapolis’ OTAs this week. And even though Minshew is going into just his fifth season, he’s already taken over the role of mentor.
Head coach Shane Steichen said the relationship between Minshew and Richardson has been great.
“Gardner’s done a hell of a job taking him under his wing in that quarterback room,” Steichen said during his Thursday press conference. “Obviously, he’s got experience. He’s played a ton of games in this league. But he’s done a really nice job, I’m really pleased with where he’s at, with everything we’re doing on offense and the same thing, helping Anthony at the same time.”
Steichen added that Minshew potentially mentoring a young QB was a factor in bringing him to Indianapolis. But Minshew has also appeared in 32 games with 24 starts over the first four years of his career — two with Jacksonville and two with Steichen as his offensive coordinator in Philadelphia.
“Obviously being around him and what I know what he’s capable of, his brain and how it functions — he loves football, and that’s a big part of it,” Steichen said. “It’s a big plus for me to be around a guy that I know personally at that position that knows the system, that I know how he operates, he knows how I operate. It definitely helps.”
If Richardson is not ready to play Week One, then Minshew would be a solid option to start. But at this point, it appears the Colts are doing what they can to get Richardson ready as quickly as possible.
