The wear and tear on quarterbacks has been immense for the Indianapolis Colts for years. In the upcoming NFL Draft, will the franchise finally grab the playmaker who has brought consistency and success over the years?

It’s every NFL fan’s dream: a quarterback who shapes a franchise for years, at best even decades. Tom Brady did this for almost 20 years with the New England Patriots, Aaron Rodgers for 15 years with the Green Bay Packers.

The Indianapolis Colts also had a franchise quarterback for a long time. From 1998 to 2010, Peyton Manning was the playmaker on the field. A lot has happened since then, but hardly anything has been successful. The search for a permanent signal caller has been marked by frustration, bad luck, injuries and bad decisions – and it is entering a new round in 2023.

Actually, everything seemed fine after Manning’s departure. The team took Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft. Three Pro Bowls in the first three years promised great times, but things turned out differently.

One injury after another plagued him. After missing the entire 2017 season, Luck was even named Comeback Player of the Year a year later. But the events left a mark.

Luck surprisingly ended his career

Luck’s countless rehab stints had robbed him of his desire to play football, and in August 2019, he unexpectedly announced the end of his career at the age of just 29.

Since then, Indy has been on the lookout.

First, the team tried Jacoby Brissett. The signal caller already played the end of the 2017 season, was Luck’s backup a year later and started a full 15 games in 2019. His backup Brian Hoyer also appeared in two games without success.

In 2020, the Colts opted for an experienced quarterback. Philip Rivers came after countless years with the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers – and even made the playoffs with the team. But then he too – at the age of 39 – ended his career.

Disaster under Wentz and Ryan

2021, Colts fans had to get used to the next playmaker in blue and white. Carson Wentz became the protégé of head coach Frank Reich, both knew each other from their Eagles days. But this intermezzo also mutated into a flop. Although the team finished the season with a positive 9-8 record, a disaster in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had already been eliminated from the playoff race, prevented them from making it into the postseason.

And things didn’t get any better last season. After Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders, the franchise brought in Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons. But the veteran proved to be a turnover guarantor, showed desolate performances at times and was relegated to the bench for the first time in his career.

His backups Sam Ehlinger and Nick Foles, who were both used as starters, did not seem to be the right solution either.

In the past four seasons, Indianapolis had seven different starting quarterbacks on the field. A fluctuation that is now to be finally put to an end.

Steichen new Head Coach

With new head coach Shane Steichen – the 37-year-old reached the Super Bowl as offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles last season – and a new playmaker, consistency and success should return.

The franchise wants to find the new quarterback at the Scouting Combine, which is currently taking place in Indianapolis. The team has the fourth pick in the NFL Draft. Should the Chicago Bears surrender their No. 1 pick, Indy is considered a hot candidate for a possible trade. Then, at position one, they could select the signal caller they feel is most suited to become the next franchise quarterback.

But who is the right one? With Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, there are four rookies who are highly traded. Another bad decision must be avoided at all costs, considering the past years. Big pressure, especially on general manager Chris Ballard.

Pressure weighs on GM Ballard

“We know where we are in the draft, and we know how important that position is,” he said on the sidelines of the Combine. “Getting a quarterback that you can actually win with and being right about that is the most important thing.”

If the new head coach has his way, it’s clear what the most important qualities should be. “I think accuracy, decision-making and the ability to create offensive plays are the top three things I look for in a quarterback,” Steichen said.

Adding, “Of course, the players I’ve been involved with – Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and Philip Rivers – all have one thing in common: they’re obsessed with their craft. If you can find that in a quarterback, you’re probably going to have success.”

GM Ballard was even able to put the most important trait in much simpler terms: “One who wins. “

Are the Indianapolis Colts trading up?

It’s not quite that simple, though. For Ballard, it not only has to fit athletically, but also off the field: “The quarterback is automatically seen as the face of the franchise, he has to be able to handle that.”

One thing is already clear: For the Colts, a trade to the first position is only an option if they don’t have the slightest doubt that the playmaker they then select is the right one.

“If we sit down as a staff and we are sure that we have found the man for the next ten to 15 years, then we will certainly do that. But who’s to say we won’t get that player at position four?”

Which rookie will lead the Colts to new successes will be decided on April 27, when day one of the talent draft gets underway in Kansas City. What’s already clear, though, is this: The pressure on the rookie will be anything but low.