The Indianapolis Colts are expected to draft a quarterback with the fourth overall pick. However, unlike other teams, the Colts likely can succeed with any of this year’s quarterbacks thanks to their new head coach Shane Steichen. Before Steichen joined the organization, former head coach Frank Reich was thought of similarly.
Reich had two terrific years with Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers. He also got the best season yet out of journeyman Jacoby Brissett. Then the Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan eras happened and Reich found himself out of a job. Coincidentally, Reich and Steichen had offensive coordinator stops with the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles before becoming the Indianapolis Colts head coach.
Related: The Indianapolis Colts are setting the wrong kind of records
Regardless, one difference between the two coaches is that Steichen has had previous experience working with and developing young quarterbacks. And most importantly his work with them has paid off almost instantly. For example, Justin Herbert had one of the better rookie seasons in recent memory, and Jalen Hurts’ development in his two seasons with Steichen has been incredible to see.
Let’s explain why either QB the team likely takes could get off to a favorable start with the help of Steichen and the team’s new offensive coordinator.
Indianapolis Colts should be just fine with whichever QB they take in the first round
As previously mentioned, Steichen has had previous experience with a variety of different quarterbacks, like Rivers, Herbert, and Hurts. Also, Steichen has made it known that having a quarterback with mobility is a prerequisite but he also really wants a quarterback who eats, breathes, and sleeps football. From there he can mold the player and offense to mesh cohesively.
Furthermore, the Colts’ newest offensive coordinator, Jim Bob Cooter, will also be a massive plus to that player’s development. The biggest thing Cooter is going to bring to the rookie is the ability to calm the quarterback down. The speed of the NFL is something the young signal caller won’t have any experience with or point of reference until he starts playing. What the new OC can do is help make sure the quarterback is comfortable with the play calls and protection calls too.
When looking at both Steichen’s and Cooter’s offenses we can see something that is similar. Both can come up with some plays to help create good throwing windows. Now, a difference between the two is that Steichen wants to run the ball and then take some shots deep. Whereas with Cooter’s offense, they never featured a strong run game. Now, most of that was due to those teams not having a running back the caliber of Jonathan Taylor.
Going with the notion that the Indianapolis Colts will either be selecting Anthony Richardson or Will Levis with their top pick, it is easy to see how either of these two will fit in this new offense. Richardson will obviously offer more with his legs but Levis is no statue in the pocket. Whereas, Levis will offer more initially from the pocket than Richardson, the Florida star is no slouch either. In fact, Richardson showed tremendous growth and development with his mechanics and footwork in the pocket as the 2022 season progressed.
The Colts’ offense in 2023 will look vastly different than it did in 2022. The team will still want to run the ball and most likely still run it a lot. However, the passing game should feature much more explosive plays. This will come from Steichen and Cooter creating plays that create big throwing windows for the rookie signal caller to throw to. This will in turn help boost their confidence.
This offense will also take advantage of the athleticism of either Levis or Richardson to help add another dynamic for opposing defenses to guard against. Both of these guys will take time to develop. But the good news for these players is the Indianapolis Colts have a couple of good coaches in place to develop the quarterbacks and help them reach their full potential. Which in turn will excite the fan base and get the franchise back to its winning ways.