With head coach in place, the Colts need a QB
Indianapolis announced former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen will be the team's new head coach.
The news puts an end to the Jeff Saturday circus and allows the Colts to focus on what's most important: finding a franchise QB.
The team fired Frank Reich after a Week 9 loss to New England and then named ESPN analyst and former Colts center Saturday interim head coach. The team finished 4-12-1, its worst record since 2017 (4-12).
Reich didn't fail the Colts as much as the Colts failed him after Andrew Luck's impromptu retirement during the 2019 preseason.
Reich was saddled with five different Week 1 starting QBs during his five seasons in Indianapolis. After Luck, the Colts relied on stopgap options Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan. That unsustainable team-building method went up in flames with the disastrous 2022 season.
It's not all doom-and-gloom in Indianapolis; thanks to its season to forget, the organization is in place to draft one of the top QBs in the NFL draft.
With the success Steichen had with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, the Colts may feel inclined to trade up to the first overall pick and select Alabama QB Bryce Young. Both QBs have ties to the Crimson Tide -- Hurts began his college career in Tuscaloosa -- and both are experts on building something out of nothing.
If the Colts stay at fourth overall, it may have its pick between Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis. Stroud might be the better fit; while his strength lies in his ability to pass from the pocket, as he showed against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal, he's more than capable of making plays on the run when necessary.
Steichen inherits an offense that includes wide receiver Michael Pittman and running back Jonathan Taylor.
Pittman led the Colts with 99 receptions, 925 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Taylor had a down year in 2022 but led the NFL in rushing in 2021 with 1,811 yards. In three seasons, Taylor has 756 carries, 3,841 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns.
In Steichen's two seasons as offensive coordinator in Philadelphia, the Eagles ranked fifth in rushing this in 2022 and led the league in rushing in 2021.
Steichen, like Reich, arrives in Indianapolis immediately after serving as Philadelphia's offensive coordinator. Like his predecessor, Steichen's fate hinges on the Colts finding a QB.
More must-reads: