As Colts camp is underway, there are several storylines to follow and in a series of articles, I will try and highlight some key storylines inside training camp as we prepare for the preseason.

The Battle for QB1

Today’s NFL is no stranger to rookie QBs starting in week 1, but QB Anthony Richardson is a unique case. Only having 13 starts in college and not posting very eye-opening numbers, Richardson will enter the league very raw but with ceiling potential. That being said, it could be within the Colts best interest to sit Richardson in favor of QB Gardner Minshew, but it could also be within the Colts best interest to start Richardson in week 1.

The reason why it could be beneficial to sit Richardson – Chris Ballard mentioned in his Press Conference earlier today that there is a lot of pressure on QBs picked high in the draft to be the savior before they even play a down. He also mentioned how he wants to set (Richardson) up to where he will have success, so it’s not all downhill. Often times in order to set a QB up for success, it requires patience in terms of letting him sit behind a veteran and learn before taking the reins. This being said, the Colts have not hinted at naming a starting QB and we probably will not have a definitive until the end of preseason.

The most notable QBs to sit their first few games or even the first year are Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Terry Bradshaw, Dan Marino, and Justin Herbert (who sat in week 1) to name a few. All five of these QBs have, in one way shape or form, gone on to have successful careers.

The reason why it could be beneficial to start Richardson – Unlike any previous top 5 draft pick in the NFL, Richardson is one of the rawest talents who has not had a chance to put what he can do on display. This is a big deal because it is hard to gauge where a QB is at in terms of readiness to actually play and take control of an offense. I have said this before and I will continue to repeat it, Chris Ballard said that the reason he drafted Richardson was for, “what (they) think (Richardson) can really be in the future”.

So, with all of this raw talent and explosive potential, a team will need to see it in action to determine what they truly have to work with. As one who has followed Anthony Richardson’s progression since being drafted, I would highly be in favor of the Colts starting him because he can’t get better unless he plays. With how short of a playing career he has had, it makes more sense to start him and give him his reps.

There are countless first-round draft picks who went on to be the starter in week 1 and have very successful careers – Among many is Colts legend, Peyton Manning who went 3-13 his first year and still holds the record for most interceptions thrown in a single season (28). There are also several week 1 starters who struggled early and never recovered – Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston first come to mind and all four of these QBs who were once week 1 starters currently serve as backups.

Bottom Line – There is definitely cause for concern to start a rookie QB in week 1, but there really isn’t any data out there that suggest sitting a QB actually helps in the long run. Former Browns QB Johnny Manziel did not start his first game and he still ended up being a bust. Former Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff sat the first 9 games of his rookie season, only to lose his first 7 games after being named the starter.

On the flip side, though, I already mentioned several QBs who did not start game 1, but there is no way to tell if they were better off sitting. Could Aaron Rodgers have started in week 1 and still had a successful career? Terry Bradshaw played terribly when he was named the starter. Should the Steelers have started him in week 1 to get the lumps in early? Unfortunately, these questions cannot be answered, but they are questions to consider when a franchise is looking at it’s potential future QB.