2020 has been a weird year already. It only takes a couple of positive COVID tests for new quarterback Jacob Eason to be the starter for the Colts.
Jacob Eason was drafted in the 4th round back in April by the Colts. Anyone that reads me knows how much I think of Eason’s upside. He has a first-round arm but just needs to work on his consistency and decision-making. Ideally, he would have all of this year to work on that on the practice squad.
Unfortunately, this year is not a normal year. This is the year of the pandemic and COVID tests needing to be passed. Because of that, Eason may need to be ready to play at any moment. All it takes is for Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett to become infected. If that happens, Eason is your starter.
The Colts will obviously take every precaution they can possibly take to make sure that no member of their team gets infected with the virus. But contingency plans need to be made. That includes having a third quarterback ready if needed.
Most teams only carry two active quarterbacks on their roster. That could change this season though with the quarantine protocols that must be followed. A team doesn’t want to be without a quarterback come game time. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Colts do that at all.
There’s no question that Eason is not ready to start right away. Even if he were to have a few weeks of practice under his belt before he was thrust into the starting lineup it would likely be a disaster. But the Colts won’t have much choice if COVID were to take out Rivers and Brissett.
How teams handle the pandemic will be the most fascinating part of the 2020 season. I would expect both Chris Ballard and Frank Reich to be the most prepared that they could possibly be for anything that could pop up over the course of the year.