By Jordan Long
Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck surprisingly decided to retire in the prime of his career. This leaves Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback this season. The biggest question heading into the final preseason game of the year is who will win the backup job between Chad Kelly and Phillip Walker.
According to UPI.com, former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly who is the uncle of Chad Kelly said, “When you get beat up the way he has gotten beat up in the past, things are going to start hitting you. Unfortunately for the NFL and for the Colts, it has hit him sooner than later. But the plus side of that is now it gives my nephew Chad a great opportunity to show more of what he can do. I don’t think anybody has ever questioned his on the field performance, as we’ve seen the last three weeks.”
Kelly is in his third season. The previous two he was in the Mile High City with the Denver Broncos. Kelly saw the field once for one play last season. It was a kneel down against the L.A. Rams to end the 1st half in Denver’s 23-20 loss.
Kelly was released by Denver on October 24th, 2018 after being arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing after a bizarre incident when he entered a couple’s home uninvited late at night. For that, he is suspended for 2 games to start the season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Colts took a chance on Kelly, agreeing to a contract on May 20th, 2019
Kelly has seen the field a lot in the preseason for the Colts. In 3 games, he has been accurate throwing to his open receiver. Kelly hit 41 of 57 pass attempts or an impressive completion percentage of 71.9%. He totaled 445 yards and 2 touchdowns but has 1 interception to this point. Of course, this is against 3rd and 4th string defenses on the depth chart but Kelly has shown enough to be the backup to Brissett once his suspension is over.
Phillip Walker is also vying for the spot. He is listed as the 2nd quarterback on the depth chart. Walker has been with the Colts the last 2 seasons and was placed on the practice squad both times. In the preseason, Walker is trying to prove to the Colt’s coaching staff he should stay on the active roster. He hasn’t performed well with a pass completion of 50%. Walker has thrown for 259 yards but hasn’t recorded a touchdown. He has been picked off twice and sacked 5 times.
The Colts know the backup position is important. They are one hit away from losing Brissett for the year. Whoever plays better between Kelly and Walker on Thursday will most likely be the backup for the season. If both struggle, the Colts could always trade for a backup or wait for cuts to add to the roster. The Colts take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday in their final preseason game.
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