Gardner Minshew, over the course of his football career, has learned to appreciate coaches who are authentic and genuine to themselves. He played for Mike Leach – maybe the most authentic-to-himself football coach there ever was – at Washington State, after all.
So how does Minshew view Colts head coach Shane Steichen – his offensive coordinator for the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles?
"He's himself," Minshew said. "I think that's one of the things that all great coaches are, no matter the style. Just the genuine authenticity that he brings is one of the things that guys really respect."
Minshew said he and Steichen developed a strong rapport over their two seasons in Philadelphia, where Minshew primarily backed up Jalen Hurts. Minshew, who started four games from 2021-2022, also said Steichen has a "great feel" for playcalling and in-game adjustments.
But beyond Steichen's football IQ, his authenticity as a coach allowed the Eagles to have productive, efficient discussions that made the offense better.
"You end up having honest conversations and getting straight to the point and really getting things done when you don't have to work through a facade and the office politics of football," Minshew said. "He's just a dude. A dude that loves ball and knows how to win."
We'll see what role Steichen envisions for Minshew in the coming months. But Minshew has been both an effective starter (2019-2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars) and supportive backup (2021-2022 with the Eagles), and the Colts are confident in his ability to do whatever is asked of him in 2023.
"I'm here to help the team in any way I can," Minshew said, "to get better every single day and enjoy every step of the way."
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