Bleacher Report names the move Colts should make to become contenders again
With the Indianapolis Colts working to return to contender status, Bleacher Report proposes a move that would help Indy on that journey.
The Indianapolis Colts will be watching yet another Super Bowl when the Philadelphia Eagles battle the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. While Indy’s goal is to obviously win Super Bowls, the Colts seem to be moving in the wrong direction. After a 9-8 season with one of the league’s most talented teams in 2021, Indianapolis had a 4-12-1 season in 2022 and ended up firing Frank Reich and benching Matt Ryan.
Now, the Colts are currently searching for a new head coach and will soon find a way to move on from Ryan and find a new quarterback for the team. While fans are hopeful that Indy’s next quarterback is found through the draft, there are several veteran options that Indy could acquire. In a recent piece by Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox argued that one of these veteran QBs could help the Colts return to contender status.
The specific quarterback that Knox was speaking about was Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. With Carr’s time in Vegas coming to an end, Knox made the case for Indy to trade for Derek Carr, explaining that it would benefit all parties. The Raiders would get a third-round pick, Derek Carr would be on a team that wants him, and the Colts would have a quarterback that could help them compete.
Would Derek Carr help the Colts?
Carr is coming off a Pro Bowl weekend where his name was buzzing. He was out at all of the activities having a lot of fun and assuring possible suitors that he’s ready to suit up for another team and go chase a Super Bowl. However, it’s unclear if Carr will actually be traded or if the Raiders will just eventually release him. Additionally, it’s also uncertain if Indianapolis will be in the race for Carr.
Derek Carr will soon be 32 years old and has three years left on his contract. If he pans out for a new team, he could give them security at the quarterback position for at least three seasons, maybe more. That’s the case for trading for him. However, he’s also due over $116 million in those three years. That’s a lot of money to commit to a quarterback that you aren’t entirely sure about, in addition to trading something away. For that reason, it seems very unlikely that Indy would trade for Carr.
If Carr is released, could the Colts then go after him? That seems more likely, but it’s fair to question how much of a priority a veteran quarterback is for Indianapolis. With the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Indy is likely looking to select a top quarterback. While a veteran QB could be added as a bridge or insurance option, it’s unclear if Indy will do that or if any veteran QBs will want to enter that situation.
Most importantly, Indy’s problems last season were far bigger than the quarterback position. So while getting the right quarterback can help the turnaround, the Colts will need to do more than just upgrade at QB to return to contender status.
