Colts quarterbacks since Andrew Luck: Indianapolis list continues to grow since QB retired

It's a good thing Goldilocks only had a few options in that famous fairy tale because picking the right quarterback is far more difficult. Some have a strong arm but aren't accurate. Some are too short. Some have the tools but aren't athletic enough. No player is perfect unless the future brings us robot quarterbacks built in a lab. However, some teams are better than others when it comes to picking the right human version.

The Browns and Jets may be the most notable teams to fail miserably at finding a signal-caller, but don't count out the Colts. In recent history, Indianapolis has lived a fairly charmed NFL life, going from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck. Since Luck's surprise retirement in the summer of 2019, the Colts have gone from AFC contender to a team embracing living up to its flyover state label.

"This is our Colts" has become a popular rallying song for fans thanks to social media. The reality is that their Colts are a team stuck in the middle, arguably the worst place to be. Not good enough to win it all. Not bad enough to truly bottom out. In what has become a list that's reached ten quarterbacks in just six years, the Colts are leaving no stone unturned as they try to find a quarterback solution. Here's a look at everyone who's started for the horseshoe since the team's Luck ran out.

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Indianapolis Colts starting quarterbacks since Andrew Luck

Jacoby Brissett (15 starts) 2019

Jacoby Brissett was the first quarterback to stake his claim to the starting job following Luck. As the story goes, Luck's decision came suddenly during the preseason, leaving Indianapolis without many options. Brissett was simply the next man up and started 15 games in 2019. The then-27-year-old filled in admirably, posting a 7-8 record with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Brian Hoyer (1 start) 2019

The well-traveled Brian Hoyer appeared in Week 10 of the 2019 season after Brissett suffered a knee injury. He would go on to play against the Dolphins in what was his only start before Brissett returned to action.

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Philip Rivers (16 starts) 2020

In the offseason following the Luck bombshell, the Colts decided to go down the veteran route and sign Philip Rivers. It proved to be a stabilizing move after a tough 2019 season as the longtime Chargers starter helped lead the Colts to the playoffs in what became Rivers' final NFL season. He tossed 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing 68 percent of pass attempts.

Indianapolis went 11-5, finishing second to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South. They would fall to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Game and be forced to hunt for another signal caller in the offseason.

Carson Wentz (17 starts) 2021

Following the Rivers retirement, the Colts went for a reclamation project in Carson Wentz. The former Philadelphia Eagles standout fell off a cliff following his famous knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams. With Nick Foles and Jalen Hurts eventually taking over in the City of Brotherly Love, Wentz found himself on the outs and landed with a familiar face, Frank Reich.

The former Philadelphia offensive coordinator turned Indianapolis head coach had hoped to recapture the magic, but that never materialized. The 29-year-old managed a 9-8 record with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions but was one-and-done in Indianapolis.

Matt Ryan (12 starts) 2022

As the Falcons' eyes wandered to Deshaun Watson, the Colts were ready to win over Matt Ryan. Indy went down the veteran route again in 2022, proving to be a retirement home of sorts for some of the league's more successful but older quarterbacks.

The 37-year-old Ryan was nothing like his former NFL MVP self and dealt with a shoulder injury for most of the year. He finished with a 4-7-1 record with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was notably under center for one of the worst "Thursday Night Football" games in recent memory. The Colts eked out a 12-9 win over Russell Wilson and the Broncos, but that game lives on as one of many reasons fans and players are against the Thursday contests. Keeping with the theme, Ryan was also one-and-done with the Colts. He would eventually retire and land a broadcasting gig with CBS.

Sam Ehlinger (3 starts) 2022

While Ryan's play was in clear decline, Sam Ehlinger was given the nod thanks to his mobility. At the time, Reich announced that the former Texas Longhorn would be the starter for the rest of that season. That experiment lasted just two games before Ryan returned to game action. Ehlinger would make one more start to finish the season. He's hung around as the third-string quarterback but hasn't seen any real game action since that time.

Nick Foles (2 starts) 2022

It was only logical for the Colts to employ Foles in the season after the Wentz experiment. The Super Bowl MVP was reunited with Reich but led the offense to just six points in two starts while tossing four interceptions. Foles was famously knocked out of his second start thanks to a big hit from the Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux. The 33-year-old joined Ryan in making that his last NFL stop before eventually announcing his retirement in 2024.

Anthony Richardson

Four seasons of musical quarterbacks proved to be too much for the team. Following the 2022 season, the Colts spent the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Anthony Richardson. The Florida quarterback would be a project, but the tools were there for the electrifying prospect.

However, Richardson's physical play style took just a few games before it haunted him. He was knocked out of action with a concussion and then eventually, for the season, with a shoulder injury. Richardson flashed his skills in those games, showing the Indianapolis faithful what could be to come. That wouldn't translate into 2024, though. Head coach Shane Steichen would pull the plug on the Richardson experiment thanks to his poor play and return the Colts to their days of starting quarterbacks headed for retirement. While the book isn't entirely closed on him, there's a chance that Steichen is finishing the final chapter.

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Gardner Minshew

As Richardson watched from the sidelines due to injury, Gardner Minshew was given the starting nod. He made 13 starts in 2023 before leaving to sign a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Minshew was a serviceable option and managed a 7-6 record in those starts, but the Colts missed the playoffs again, and the hope was that Richardson would be the answer.

Joe Flacco

The latest entrant on this list is the 39-year-old Joe Flacco. The quarterback has been well-traveled in recent years but remains a mostly consistent veteran option. Steichen made the switch from Richardson, saying that Flacco gives the team the best chance to win. He's a long way away from his prime years in Baltimore with the Ravens, but the veteran has been able to help steady sinking offensive ships in recent history.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colts QBs since Andrew Luck: Indianapolis list continues to grow