Before Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson knew they would both be Colts, the quarterbacks worked out together at the same facility in Florida, gaining a familiarity with each other.
Speaking Wednesday, Minshew said that those early interactions gave him the opportunity to observe Richardson, and even then he could see the unique characteristics that scouts raved about and that led to him being drafted No. 4 overall by Indianapolis last month.
“Obviously, the first thing is just how impressive the ball just jumps out of his hand. Physically, he’s got everything you want, so from that standpoint just seeing him is like, ‘Wow, this dude’s really got a chance,’” Minshew said. “And then getting around him and seeing how he works, how he takes criticism and wants to learn and get better, all those things are really encouraging to be around.”
And now that the two QBs are officially teammates, Minshew said his impression of Richardson has only gotten better, noting that the rookie exhibits the quickness and agility that you don’t always see from larger-framed quarterbacks.
“I’ve been really impressed, because a lot of the time the bigger guys with the bigger arms aren’t as quick with some of the RPO stuff and the underneath passes," Minshew said. "He’s very quick, and his feet are very quick, and I think he can get the ball out and process fast."
By selecting Richardson, the Colts have indicated that they see the Florida product as their QB of the future, a young player who can lead Indy away from the carousel of starters over the last few years and give them consistency at the position not seen since Andrew Luck.
But this early in the offseason, with rookie camps underway and organized team activities set to begin next week, coach Shane Steichen has not revealed yet whether Richardson is a lock to be the Week 1 starter, or whether there will be a training camp competition.
Even though Minshew, Richardson and third-year QB Sam Ehlinger could spend the offseason program fighting for spots on the depth chart, Minshew said he is still focused on working with the other quarterbacks, as too much of a rivalry would only hurt the team in the end.
“If you have a room that’s splintered or rooting against each other, that’s no fun for anybody, and it really pulls the team apart,” Minshew said. “So I think more than anything, you compete, and you compete to make each other better. You push each other, but at the end of the day whoever’s out there, no matter who it is, we’re all wanting to win and we’re all wanting to help them win.”
For Minshew, this means he must find a balance between competing with Richardson and embracing his role as the veteran presence in the locker room. He has played four years in the league and two seasons in Steichen’s offense in Philadelphia, giving him experience with the Colts’ new system.
Minshew acknowledged that part of his job is to use his experience to help prepare his younger comrades.
“That’s part of my role, is trying to get them comfortable. You want to help the room as much as you can, everybody that’s in it,” he said. “So we’ve got two younger guys, him and Sam, so just trying to help them out whenever I can.”