National Football League

Colts owner Jim Irsay not hiding interest in drafting QB Bryce Young

Updated Feb. 16, 2023 3:54 p.m. ET

So much for playing your draft plans close to the vest.

Colts owner Jim Irsay revealed that his team, which holds the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will target a quarterback while specifically alluding to former Alabama star Bryce Young during head coach Shane Steichen's introductory news conference Tuesday.

"No one can shy away from what quarterback means in this league and how we have to look going forward, where Shane and [Colts general manager] Chris [Ballard] really dig into this draft and see where we're at." Irsay said. "Do we stay put? Do we trade up? There's really many things we can do. … The Alabama guy doesn't look bad, I'll tell ya."

Young is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft class following two excellent seasons as the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide. In 2021, he became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy.

But Irsay tipping his hand on the Colts' interest only gives the Bears, who own the No. 1 overall pick, that much more leverage in a potential trade. Chicago GM Ryan Poles said last month that the plan is for Justin Fields to remain the starter unless the club is "absolutely blown away" with one of the QB prospects.

Irsay confirmed reports that the Colts hired Steichen largely because of his work in developing Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts into two of the NFL's most successful young quarterbacks. Steichen was the Chargers' offensive coordinator when Herbert won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 and had the same role with the Eagles in 2021 and 2022 as Hurts became an MVP candidate and put together a historic performance in Super Bowl LVII that fell just short in Philadelphia's 38-35 loss to the Chiefs.

[Jalen Hurts leaves no doubt about his ascent despite Eagles' defeat]

The 37-year-old first-time head coach will be starting from scratch at the QB position in Indianapolis, which cycled through three starting quarterbacks in 2022 amid an abysmal 4-12-1 campaign. The Colts have featured a different Week 1 starter in each of the past seven seasons.

AFC South rival Houston also has a need at quarterback and holds the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. New Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson also has familiarity with Bryce Young, per FOX Sports college football analyst R.J. Young.

Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson are also considered top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft.

Other teams with top-10 draft picks and questions at quarterback include the Raiders at No. 7, Falcons at No. 8 and Panthers at No. 9. New Panthers QBs coach Josh McCown also made headlines recently when video surfaced of him praising Stroud on a podcast after Stroud's performance in Ohio State's College Football Playoff semifinal loss to eventual national champion Georgia on New Year's Eve.

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