ORLANDO, Fla. -- A mustachioed traveler with a drawl accompanying a quick wit and an easy grin, Gardner Minshew has acclimated himself well on every stop of an entertaining NFL odyssey.
His latest stop was Indianapolis, where he began the 2023 season as the Colts' second-stringer and ended it as the franchise's first Pro Bowl quarterback since Andrew Luck. It was an unpredictable turnabout in one memorable season's time.
"Right? Right? Anything can happen, man," Minshew told NFL.com on Friday at Pro Bowl Games practice. "Just super grateful, man. Had a lot of good people around me this year. Loved it, man. Just super proud of the season we had, the work we put in and, man, just loved the guys we had and wish it would've never ended."
It did come to an end, though. And now the all-star QB is a pending free agent with the Colts' future under center reserved for Anthony Richardson, so Minshew is once again at a career crossroads.
"Ain't no tellin' man, ain't no tellin'," Minshew said when asked about where he sees himself playing in 2024. "That's something they gotta tell me, that free agency stuff."
Once a rookie sixth-rounder for the Jacksonville Jaguars who authored Minshewmania in 2019, Minshew has now played for three teams in five seasons. He fit Indy to aplomb this past year, though. Having taken over the starting reins when Richardson was lost to a shoulder injury, Minshew racked up a career-high 3,305 yards in 13 starts to go with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. While he wasn't the rushing marvel that Richardson is, he also had three rushing scores.
Minshew signed with the Colts last offseason after two years with the Philadelphia Eagles, but it was his third straight campaign working with Shane Steichen. Steichen, the former Eagles offensive coordinator and current Colts head coach, captained his club to a surprising 9-8 season and his chemistry with Minshew brought out the best in the 27-year-old.
"So comfortable with Shane," he said. "The open communication the whole time, just really loved Shane and playing for him."
Despite the positive results overall and Minshew's ability to lead the Colts' offense, it's unlikely he'll find an abundance of teams looking to give him a starting job. So, whether he returns to Indianapolis to help along Richardson or continues his football odyssey elsewhere remains to be seen.
Having memorably lived and traveled in a bus, Minshew's made trips to Duval, Philly and Indy in a career that's had plenty of high spots. Ultimately, though, the gunslinger would like to find a town to settle into.
"I'm a ramblin' man, a little bit in my soul, but, man, love to settle down and find somewhere to call home, but until we get there we're gonna keep on rollin'," he said.
Of course, he's still got at least one more Sunday representing the Colts when he and the AFC face the NFC in the Pro Bowl Games finale.
"We gotta go win this flag football game," he said. "These guys got some bar tabs to cover and stuff, so we gotta really bring it."
