Colts: Will Indy add veteran backup behind Jacob Eason?
By Jerry Trotta
About a month after terms of the deal were agreed upon, the Indianapolis Colts officially announced the Carson Wentz trade on Wednesday following the start of the new league year.
The Colts will be hoping that a change of scenery helps restore Wentz’s confidence and he establishes himself as their quarterback of the future.
However, it wouldn’t hurt to have a serviceable backup on the roster in the event that his struggles from last season resurface.
As of this writing, the Colts’ current quarterback room consists of just Wentz and Jacob Eason, who essentially red-shirted as a rookie after being selected in the fourth-round of the 2020 draft.
In case you missed it amid the endless wave of free agent signings, Jacoby Brissett, who spent the last three seasons with Indy (two of which featured starting QB duties), agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins this week.
The former third-round pick’s departure begs the question of whether the Colts will bring in a veteran to be Wentz’s backup or if they’ll entrust Eason with that role?
Former Colts' QB Jacoby Brissett has reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2021
Who will be the Colts’ backup quarterback next season?
If we’re being honest, we can see both sides of the argument.
For starters, it would make sense if the coaching staff wanted to see more out of Eason before appointing him the backup. Let’s not forget that the 23-year-old wasn’t active for any games in 2020 and often stayed after practices because he wasn’t given any reps during the first and second-team sessions.
Fortunately for Eason, he’ll actually have a full offseason this time around to showcase what he would bring to the table as an NFL backup. Of course, the league delayed organized team activities (OTAs) and scrapped rookie mini camp and the preseason to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
Essentially, the question at hand is whether the Colts can afford to hand the keys of the offense to a rookie who wasn’t active for any games last year and was a spectator at almost every practice if Wentz is ever injured? Probably not, especially considering that their offense is talented enough to score points even without the former No. 2 overall pick if the right man is under center managing the game.
ICYMI, here is the plan for the Colts' QB depth chart moving forward now that Carson Wentz is onboard and Jacoby Brissett is moving on. What's next for Jacob Eason? https://t.co/5mtGAnJC2h
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 18, 2021
With that in mind, don’t be surprised if the Colts bring in a veteran free agent like Alex Smith, Joe Flacco, Colt McCoy, or Robert Griffin III as extra insurance for Wentz.
That isn’t to say we don’t believe Eason can be a competent backup. It just wouldn’t make sense for Indianapolis to give him that big of a responsibility with zero competition.
We’re all aware that competition helps keep athletes on their toes, and Eason locking horns with a seasoned vet during the offseason and preseason will ultimately prove to benefit him in the long run even if he comes up short of securing the No. 2 spot.
