Indianapolis Colts Position Grades: Quarterback

This writing series will be focusing on the Indianapolis Colts different position groups week-to-week and how the team can improve each position group, specifically through the draft. So without any more hesitation, let’s begin. This week, we’ll be analyzing the quarterback position group.

Quarterbacks on roster: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck

Quarterback position grade: A

The Colts have no need to draft a quarterback in this year’s draft, and they hopefully won’t have to even think about drafting one for at least 10 years. There are a few things that Andrew Luck needs to work on, but he is better than any other young quarterback in the NFL right now.

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) drops back to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In his career, Luck has 1,813 attempts with a 58.6% completion rate; compare that to Russell Wilson who has 1,252 attempts with a completion rate of 63.4%. That percent makes it look like Wilson is the better quarterback at first glance, but then when looking at average attempts a game, Luck throws 38 passes a game while Wilson throws more than ten less a game at 26.

Finally, if we look at the weapons around each quarterback, it leaves no question. Andrew Luck is the better of the two young quarterbacks, and he is on the fringe of becoming an elite quarterback, who hasn’t even reached his prime yet! His 40 passing touchdowns led the NFL last season, and he also had the 3rd most passing yards in what was just his 3rd NFL season. Not to mention, he nearly carried the Colts to the AFC Championship Game.

The quarterback position group is the most solid group on the Colts’ roster. The guy behind Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, is as good of a backup as any team could hope for. He has starting quarterback experience, playoff experience, and Super bowl experience. If he really wanted to ever be a starting quarterback again, there would still likely be a team or two that would be willing to take a gamble on him because of his experience.

Having Matt as a backup shows that the Colts have gotten wiser since the “Peyton Manning Era”, and they realize that you need a solid backup in case your starter gets hurt. (anyone remember Curtis Painter?)

If Andrew Luck can grow and mature in his quarterbacking skills like he has done in every single season, then this will be the year that #12 will no longer be a young quarterback who could be considered an elite quarterback, but rather the year that he is a young quarterback who is considered an elite quarterback.

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