With training camp a little less than two weeks away, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser will spend the final weeks of the off-season examining 21 questions about the Indianapolis Colts entering 2010 . . .
No. 9: Will Curtis Painter be the backup QB?
We move today to the ninth part of this series examining 21 questions around the 2010 Indianapolis Colts, this one addressing what has been asked a lot since the end of last regular season: Will Curtis Painter be the backup quarterback?
All indications are he will.
And that's entirely in keeping with the Colts' recent history.
For the first time in six seasons, the Colts next season will enter the regular season with someone other than Jim Sorgi backing up Peyton Manning at quarterback. Sorgi, the backup since 2004, became a free agent following last season, and will back up Manning's brother, Eli, after signing with the New York Giants.
Painter, a sixth-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft from Purdue University, is the backup entering training camp, Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said recently.
“At this point, Curtis Painter is certainly backing up Peyton,” Caldwell said. “He's certainly a guy we think has ability.
“He's making good progress, and with the young guys behind him, we'll see what happens.”
Colts President Bill Polian echoed that sentiment recently.
“We like what Curtis has done and we're committed to him,” Polian said.
Painter, after playing sparingly in the first 14 games of the 2010 season, played extensively in the final two games when he completed 8 of 28 passes for 83 yards and no touchdowns with two interceptions.
The two appearances raised doubts among observers over Painter's readiness for the role, but the Colts historically have believed in drafting and developing backups, and that philosophy has included the quarterback position, with Sorgi serving as the backup after being a sixth-round selection from Wisconsin.
The Colts also have an organizational belief that players improve dramatically from Year One to Year Two, and Painter recently said he believes that can be true of him, too.
“Obviously, the more you're around here, the more get to know the offense and the system and you do get comfortable,” he said during the team's recent organized team activities. “Like it is with any place, the second time around is always a lot easier. . . . The second time around, you're constantly in the offense, then through the off-season, it just makes it real easy to continue to grow and learn about the offense.”
Said Caldwell, “I think anytime they get into their second year or get a chance to immerse themselves within the concepts of our system, you can see some improvement. I can see that he is a little bit more comfortable in execution, in terms of his play calls and checks and things of that nature.
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