Gardner Minshew shares how he’s handling Colts QB battle with Anthony Richardson

When Gardner Minshew signed with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, he knew the circumstances he were entering. Indy was going to select a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and Minshew, who’s spent the last two years with Shane Steichen, was brought in to help develop the rookie, and step in if the young QB wasn’t ready yet.

Sure enough, the Colts drafted Anthony Richardson with the fourth-overall pick, and he’s currently competing with Minshew for the starting quarterback job in training camp. Despite competing against one another, Minshew and Richardson have a good dynamic, and Minshew is using his veteran experience to help the rookie QB come along.

Recently, Minshew opened up about what many could interpret as a weird relationship between him and Richardson. Ryan Hockensmith recently wrote a feature piece on Minshew for ESPN, talking with Minshew about a ton of topics. Naturally, Richardson and the quarterback battle came up.

Minshew explained the reason things are so amicable between the two is because he understands that he’s competing against the player, not the person.

"If we're in a quarterback competition, I'm playing against you as a quarterback. I'm not playing against you as a person. There's a big difference."

- Gardner Minshew via Ryan Hockensmith

Gardner Minshew maintains a good relationship with Anthony Richardson amid quarterback battle

That makes a ton of sense, and it echoes a statement from Denny Thompson, the quarterback trainer of Minshew and Richardson. Thompson explained that the two QBs make it easy for him to train the both of them without it being awkward. They’re able to compete on the field, help each other grow, and maintain a relationship off the field.

As far as the actual competition, it’s still too early to tell if any quarterback has an advantage. The Colts have been in camp for less than a week, and both QBs have taken first-team reps. The battle will likely play out all training camp and throughout the preseason, with the world not finding out the starter until Week 1 rolls around.

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