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3 quarterbacks the Colts can target after Philip Rivers’ retirement

By Rucker Haringey

ORCHARD PARK, NY - JANUARY 09: Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts calls a play against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium on January 9, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - JANUARY 09: Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts calls a play against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium on January 9, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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Philip Rivers’ retirement leaves the Colts in need of a new quarterback. Here are three signal-callers they can target to fill the vacancy. 

The Colts wanted Philip Rivers to come back for one more season, but his retirement could easily turn into a blessing in disguise for the franchise. Indianapolis now has a chance to go out and acquire a real difference-maker at the quarterback position.

Finding that kind of upgrade won’t be easy. Quarterback is, after all, the most important position in the modern NFL. Any chance the Colts have of becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender rests on their chances of finding a top-notch passer to trigger their offense. Every other team in the league knows that as well.

This piece will identify one quarterback the Colts can draft, sign and trade for to prepare them for life after Rivers. It starts with arguably the most obvious solution.

Mac Jones

The Colts currently possess the No. 20 overall pick in April’s draft. That won’t be good enough to land an elite quarterback prospect like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, or Zach Wilson, but there is a distinct possibility that Jones will be available when Indianapolis goes on the clock.

Some scouts question Jones’ ability to thrive outside the luxurious ecosystem that is Alabama’s offensive system. Fortunately for the Colts, they aren’t going to ask their quarterback to do all that much in 2021. They want to base their offense on the run game. Jones should have the talent required to make plays via play-action during his rookie season.

The Colts are a franchise ready to win now and Jones is the most polished quarterback that will be available to them in the draft. It’s easy to envision a scenario where Frank Reich and his staff convince themselves that he’s the next cerebral quarterback to flourish in their system. Jones doesn’t have a tremendously high ceiling, but his high floor will appeal to Indianapolis.

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