What impact will Shane Steichen have on the Colts search for a quarterback?

The Indianapolis Colts are working to finalize the hiring of Shane Steichen, and then Indy’s focus will shift to finding a quarterback.

The Indianapolis Colts had two major decisions to make this offseason: hiring a head coach and finding a quarterback. The first decision is close to being decided with Indianapolis reportedly finalizing a hire of Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. The decision of the team’s next quarterback, however, is likely far from being decided. With free agency, the trade market, and the 2023 NFL Draft, the Colts will have plenty of options. It’s fair to ask, how much will Steichen being coach play into the quarterback decision?

Shane Steichen is an offensive head coach and has worked with Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts. He’s presumably a great leader and will be able to manage the team as a whole, but it’s his offensive prowess that has everyone in Indianapolis excited. Surely, Steichen will have a big say in the quarterback that he’ll be working with in his first head coaching stint.

Since the Colts have the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, it’s unlikely that they’ll entertain the veteran market as they did in the past. It makes sense for Indianapolis to start fresh and select a quarterback at the top of the draft that Steichen can develop and grow with. With so many talented quarterbacks in this draft class, who makes the most sense for Steichen based on what we’ve seen from him?

What quarterback will Colts pair with Shane Steichen?

Steichen’s most recent and noteworthy work is this past season with Jalen Hurts. Anyone who watched Hurts and the Eagles in the Super Bowl, or at any point this past season, understands why Colts fans have been salivating at the possibility of the franchise gifting Steichen a mobile quarterback. While the majority of the conversation at the top of the draft has been focused on Bryce Young and CJ Stroud, polarizing prospects like Anthony Richardson and Will Levis suddenly come into the picture.

Considering Richardson’s and Levis’ physical gifts, and the fact that they were the best rushers in college, fans would certainly understand Indy making one of them the first quarterback taken in the draft. Looking at Hurts’ development in the last three seasons, and the Eagles’ current offense, fans would likely be more than willing to accept an uber-athletic quarterback with what many scouts consider a raw passing ability.

However, Steichen also did pretty good work with a rookie Justin Herbert, who’s more similar to Young and Stroud in the sense that they are athletic enough to run and occasionally do, but the overwhelming majority of their work comes from the pocket. So there’s no telling if Steichen even exclusively desires to have a mobile quarterback.

Going from offensive coordinator to head coach is a big step, and often, coaches can have visions bigger than what they showcased. Maybe Steichen’s ideal offense is centered around a dual-threat quarterback, maybe it isn’t. Maybe he’d like to take a guy like CJ Stroud, who is believed to be further along as a passer than Levis and Richardson but is also big enough and athletic enough to run frequently, and make him an elite dual-threat guy in the league.

There’s an array of possibilities for the Colts and Steichen, and the hiring of Steichen doesn’t limit Indy’s draft process in any way. It will be exciting, though, to see which quarterback is selected to embark on this journey with the first-time head coach.

Which Colts players deserve contract extensions?

The Indianapolis Colts have several players entering the final year of their contracts. Indy must decide which players deserve an extension.