Now the Indianapolis Colts season has ended there is some uncertainty surrounding the team. One of the uncertainty is backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Minshew, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason started out the season as backup to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. After a season-ending shoulder injury in week 5, Minshew took over as starter and had the Colts in position to make the playoffs but the team ended the season losing to Houston Texans.
Minshew earned a spot in the pro bowl after having 62 completion percentage, with 3,305 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 3 rushing touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Minshew is the first quarterback since Andrew Luck (2018) to be selected to a pro bowl. When asked about his future in Indianapolis, he responded “Ain’t no tellin’, that’s something they gotta tell me.” With Richardson returning to the starting lineup for the 2024 season, Minshew will have to make a decision on whether he’ll return as a backup or seek a starting job elsewhere.
Another uncertainty is star wide receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman who had his best season as a Colt under new head coach Stane Steichen. He posted 109 catches, 1,152 receiving yards, and 4 touchdowns. After a terrific season, Pittman said he love his time in Indianapolis but will hit the open market. Pittman wants to explore all of his options, including best fit before signing a new deal. Pittman briefly discussed on what type of offense he wants to play in if he does decide to leave Indianapolis.
“I feel like Colts have allowed me to show what I can do,” Pittman said. “Obviously, there’s aspects of my game . . . that down-the-field throw. It’s just what type of offense we were this year. We ran a lot of RPOs and it worked well for us.”
When it comes to contract, Pittman said he wouldn’t mind being franchise tagged, which is projected to be approximately $21M for one year. Although, he would like to have a long-term deal, he said he feels like it’s a sign of respect to be paid like a top 5 player at the position. The real question is will Colts General Manager, Chris Ballard use it. Since being named GM in 2017, Ballard hasn’t used the tag on any player. During the end of season presser, Ballard made the following statement about Michael Pittman Jr:
“We’re going to work to get him back. We’ll work through that. Pitt’s a good football player for us and hopefully he still remains a Colt.’’
When asked about potentially using the tag. Ballard said “I don’t want to use it,’’ he said, but it’s a tool. I don’t want to use it . . . if we have to use it, we will.’’ The Colts are projected to have roughly $72M in cap space but will have a number of pending free agents on the team they would want to re-sign. Ballard could also bring in a “nugget” he was referring to in his presser that could have an immediate impact on the team. What we do know is Ballard has no problem paying the best players, so we should look forward to seeing Michael Pittman Jr in a Colts uniform for years to come.
