Quarterback evaluation rising to top of Colts' to-do list

Feb. 16—INDIANAPOLIS — A big part of Shane Steichen's resume has been built on the development of quarterbacks.

The Indianapolis Colts head coach was with Justin Herbert during his rookie of the year season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 and helped chart Jalen Hurts' meteoric rise into the NFL's elite over the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

But Steichen said there's no magic formula to quarterback success. From his early days working as an offensive assistant with Philip Rivers and the Chargers to his turn in the Super Bowl on Sunday with Hurts putting up one of the best performances in the history of the big game, it's all been about highlighting what the players do best.

"I think obviously being around Philip, he was already in the system for so many years, and he was an established quarterback," Steichen said during his introductory news conference Tuesday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. "So we continued to do what he did well when I was the coordinator there for half the season with him and being his quarterbacks coach for a while. Then having Justin as a rookie — really these guys come in from college and it's like, 'Hey, what are they doing in college and how can we adapt that to our game offensively and build around his strengths?'

"Then same thing with Jalen over the past two years and building that thing with him. What are his strengths? What does he do well? And he does a lot well. He's a hell of a football player, and I was very, very fortunate to be around him the last two years."

The question of the hour in Indianapolis becomes whom will Steichen mentor next?

Veterans Matt Ryan and Nick Foles remain under contract for the 2023 season, and decisions will need to be made on both signal callers in the near future.

Sam Ehlinger appears poised to continue his development for a third season with the franchise after making three starts last year.

But all indications suggest the Colts finally are ready to get off the quarterback tilt-a-whirl that has resulted in five different starters over the past five seasons.

The best way to do that likely is to leverage the No. 4 overall pick in April's draft into a rookie who can be groomed as the new face of the franchise.

"No one can shy away from the fact (of) what a quarterback means in this league and how we have to look going forward where Shane and (general manager) Chris (Ballard) really dig into this draft and really see where you're at," Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay said. "Do you stay put? Do you trade up? There are so many things you can do. (The Eagles) took Jalen in the second round."

That dilemma will be at the center of the offseason as the Colts survey their options, and it led to an intriguing exchange Tuesday.

"Trade back," Ballard quickly added to the list. "That will be a Twitter freaking quote."

All three men at the podium laughed before Irsay made the statement that has drawn some of the most attention in the ensuing days.

"(Ballard) likes picks, although the Alabama guy doesn't look bad, I tell you," Irsay opined.

The "Alabama guy" is Bryce Young, a top quarterback prospect with elite field vision and creativity who will face plenty of questions about his size. Likely to check in under 6 feet and 200 pounds during the NFL Scouting Combine later this month, Young is an historic outlier when it comes to his position.

But other top prospects also have significant question marks.

Ohio State's C.J. Stroud has the requisite size and a glowing statistical resume, but he was 0-2 against rival Michigan and will face doubts about whether he can raise his play in the biggest games. Some of those concerns were allayed by a sensational effort in the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff semifinal loss against Georgia, but questions will linger.

Kentucky's Will Levis had a meteoric rise after transferring from Penn State but must convince teams he's not turnover prone and answer questions about a statistical decline in 2022 — his second season as a starter.

Florida's Anthony Richardson is one of the most intriguing players at any position. His physical tools, including elite running ability, will have NFL decision makers drooling over his fit in the modern game. But his accuracy and consistency must improve at the next level.

There are no easy answers, and rumors likely will link the Colts to all four quarterbacks at some point this offseason.

But Steichen has a clear vision of the type of player he wants to lead his offense.

"I think accuracy, decision making and the ability to create are the three things that I look at in a quarterback," he said. "I think those — all three things are very important, but obviously above the neck, the players that I've been around — Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and Philip Rivers — they all have one thing in common.

"They're obsessed with their craft. If you can find that in a quarterback, you'll probably have some success."