Source: David Eulitt / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS – It’s a harsh, sad and foreign reality for the Indianapolis Colts.
While nearly the rest of the AFC is basking in the glory of having some levels of answer at quarterback, many on the youthful side of that journey, too, the Colts are left hoping they can join it.
Hence, the reason why the Colts have taken such a gargantuan swing at QB with Anthony Richardson.
Simply, the AFC is in a golden age of young, yet accomplished, quarterbacks.
And the Colts are left peering out the window wanting to play with the neighborhood kids.
It’s quite amazing to look at the entire AFC and project out to starting QBs.
2023 AFC Starting QBs:
Buffalo: Josh Allen (26)
Miami: Tua Tagovailoa (25)
New England: Mac Jones (24)
New York: Aaron Rodgers (39)
Baltimore: Lamar Jackson (26)
Cincinnati: Joe Burrow (26)
Cleveland: Deshaun Watson (27)
Pittsburgh: Kenny Pickett (24)
Houston: C.J. Stroud (21)
Indianapolis: Gardner Minshew/Anthony Richardson (27/22)
Jacksonville: Trevor Lawrence (23)
Tennessee: Ryan Tannehill/Will Levis (34/23)
Denver: Russell Wilson (34)
Kansas City: Patrick Mahomes (27)
Los Angeles: Justin Herbert (25)
Las Vegas: Jimmy Garoppolo (31)
On that list are a litany of MVPs, Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl winners/participants.
While some might be a bit past their prime, that list has 12 of the 16 teams with quarterbacks at age 27 or younger (once the Colts and Titans hand the keys over to their 2023 draft pick).
So, this isn’t the AFC from a dozen years ago when the conference had an extremely high-level of quarterback play, but many of whom were in their 30s with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger.
Here, in 2023, the Colts are now looking up at the rest of the AFC hoping they can one day be in the mix of an absolutely loaded conference at the most important position in sports.
And, for all of this, is a massive reason why the Colts needed to take a chance at quarterback.
