With Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson fresh off playing just a handful of games in his rookie season due to injury and backup Joe Flacco about to turn 40 years old, Shane Steichen needs to make sure he is 100% confident in his decision to name a third-string quarterback on the depth chart.
The Colts have three main competitors trying out for the job. Sam Ehlinger will try to keep his roster spot, all while fending off challenges from undrafted free agent Kedon Slovis and Kansas standout Jason Bean. Their first showing of the season, as is common for young quarterbacks, were up-and-down affairs
The first chance for either of them to prove their worth came in a 34-30 loss against the Denver Broncos in the preseason. With Richardson and Flacco only playing a handful of series against Denver, the backups were left to strut their stuff.
With two turnovers, timely sacks, and missed throws abound that belied the final point tally, Indianapolis' quarterbacks didn't exactly light the world on fire. With any one of these quarterbacks one awkward Richardson landing away from playing, Steichen needs to hope for more as the preseason continues on.
Indianapolis Colts backup QBs volatile in loss to Broncos
Ehlinger, the favorite for this job, went 5-6 passing for 80 yards, including a very impressive throw over the middle with a very small window to fit the ball in. Ehlinger's good work in this game was undone by a miscue, however, as a throw while getting hit forced an interception and red zone turnover.
Slovis, who bounced around between USC, Pitt, and BYU in college, may have had the best day of the three. He ripped nice throws down the sideline, one of which went to tight end Will Mallory. Slovis went 3-5 for 39 yards, but also took a bad sack.
Bean has been getting cross-trained as a quarterback and wide receiver, and it showed on his first drive against Denver. Bean did go 4-6 for 51 yards with a passing touchdown, but he also coughed up a fumble that led to a Broncos touchdown. Altogether, the depth chart remains a bit murky.
While the Colts would love it if none of their third-string quarterbacks took a snap this season, Steichen needs to figure out what the contingency plan is. After the Denver game, the Colts are no closer to an answer.