The Indianapolis Colts have a big offseason ahead of them. From head coach Shane Steichen implementing his scheme and culture to contracts being negotiated, there's a lot to be done.

But perhaps the biggest task leading up to the 2023 NFL season is developing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson was drafted in the top-five and features all of the tools that a coach could desire.

Therefore, making sure that he progresses over the next few months is extremely important. Fortunately, Steichen and the Colts staff are already making some smart decisions regarding their new signal caller.

Indianapolis kicked off OTAs this week, meaning there is a lot of news coming out of practices. One of the biggest notes of the week to this point is that Richardson and veteran free agent passer Gardner Minshew split first-team reps.

Minshew was signed after playing under Steichen while with the Philadelphia Eagles for the past two seasons. He has started several games in the NFL and provides Indianapolis with an experienced player behind center.

Colts have wrapped up today's OTA practice. Coach Shane Steichen says he had Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson split first-team QB reps because it is major step in their evaluation of Richardson.

"Everything is an evaluation," he said.

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 25, 2023

That move led to the possibility of the Colts being patient with Richardson. Which could obviously still happen as the offseason progresses. But for the time being, the Colts want to make ure that they get a full evaluation of the rookie.

Which is the smart move for Indianapolis. Richardson needs live reps and development, and that can't happen if he's on the bench or sitting behind Minshew or anybody else. 

The more first-team reps that Richardson gets between now and the start of the season, the better. It's still early, but the Indianapolis Colts do not appear to be messing around with their franchise quarterback's development.