After Rivers Signing, Should Colts Still Draft A Quarterback?

The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran quarterback Philip Rivers on Tuesday.

Indy has been linked to Rivers for a few weeks, so it is not surprising that the two sides have finally struck a deal.

The Colts have landed the 38-year-old for $25 million, so Rivers will be the starter going into the season.

Does bringing in Rivers mean that the Colts won’t target a quarterback into the upcoming NFL Draft?

Colts are giving Philip Rivers a one-year, $25 million deal, per source. https://t.co/Nhdjuf1250

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2020

What About Jacoby Brissett?

It appears the Colts have decided to move on from Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback.

He threw for 2,942 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions through 15 games with the Colts last season.

His numbers are fairly solid on paper, but Brissett only threw four touchdowns during the final seven games of the regular season.

Brissett is still under contract with the Colts, so there is a good chance they attempt to trade him this summer.

It doesn’t appear that the Colts believe Brissett is the future after making the move to bring in Rivers.

Could the Colts Still Draft A Quarterback?

There is a chance that the Colts still add a quarterback through the upcoming draft.

Rivers signed a one-year deal, so it doesn’t appear that he’ll be in Indy for too long.

The Colts gave Brissett a two-year $30 million extension last season, but bringing in Rivers means that Indy is likely done with Brissett.

That means the future after 2020 is very much unknown for the Colts at quarterback.

Rivers is going to be locked in as the starter in 2020, so it’s unlikely the Colts draft a quarterback during the early rounds of the draft.

The Colts could turn their attention to drafting a quarterback in the third or possibly the fourth round after filling their other needs.

This is going to change, but as we sit here today, Colts' QBs (cap hit)
$25M – Philip Rivers
$21.4M – Jacoby Brissett
$5M – Brian Hoyer
$750k – Chad Kelly

That's roughly $52M (yes, I graduated college)

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) March 17, 2020

Too Many Quarterbacks

Before the Colts decide to add another quarterback to their roster, they should consider moving some of them off the current roster.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Chad Kelly and Brian Hoyer getting cut or possibly traded.

Moving Brissett could be tough because of how much money he’s set to make next season, but he should have some value regardless of the contract.

After getting rid of the two or three of their current quarterbacks, they should focus on bringing in a younger option through the draft.

Someone that can sit behind Rivers for one season and learn from the 16-year veteran.

Then, ideally that quarterback can step up and be the starter in Indy for 2021.

Which Quarterbacks Should Indy Target?

Both Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa aren’t expected to be around when the Colts have their first selection.

Possibly, Jacob Eason or Jake Fromm could fall to the Colts around the third round.

Both quarterbacks appear to be projects and aren’t expected to jump into a starting role right away.

They could be good fits for the Colts if they last in the draft until the middle rounds.

The Colts wouldn’t have to use a high pick to bring in a quarterback and could hopefully solve their long-term quarterback issue as early as this season.

It remains to be seen what the Colts will do at the upcoming NFL Draft, but it doesn’t sound like drafting a quarterback has been ruled out by the organization.