Colts 2016 player preview: Quarterback Scott Tolzien

The Indianapolis Colts will report to training camp on July 26 with their 90-man roster, which will be cut down to 53 players by the end of the preseason.  To pass the time until camp, we're taking a look at every player on the Colts' 90-man roster.  Today, we're looking at quarterback Scott Tolzien.

Who is he?

Scott Tolzien was one of the few free agent signings made by the Indianapolis Colts this year, as they brought him in on a two-year contract to be their backup quarterback.  He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers in 2011 as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, though he was released as a part of the final roster cutdowns.  He then spent a few years with the San Francisco 49ers as their third-string quarterback, but he was cut before the 2013 regular season started.  Later that year, the Green Bay Packers signed him to their practice squad, and before long he was signed to their active roster.  He backed up Aaron Rodgers for much of the last three seasons, though the Packers decided to move on with Brett Hundley as their backup for 2016.  As you can tell, Tolzien's NFL career has had several stops, and he has seen limited results during the brief time he's been on the field.  In six games (two starts), Tolzien has completed 56 of 91 passes (61.5%) for 721 yards (7.9 yards per attempt), one touchdown and five interceptions for a passer rating of 67.1.  Tolzien also has added 52 yards and a touchdown rushing.

What is his role?

Tolzien's role with the Colts is pretty clear-cut: he's the backup quarterback to Andrew Luck and the replacement for Matt Hasselbeck, who retired this offseason.  The Colts learned last year the importance of having a backup plan in place, and that led to them seeking out options in free agency.  Obviously the Colts are hoping they won't have to find out whether Tolzien is capable of filling in for Andrew Luck or not, but they have expressed confidence in him so far.  There is an outside chance that Stephen Morris or Josh Woodrum could push Tolzien for the backup spot, but in all likelihood the spot will wind up going to Scott Tolzien.

What are his chances?

Likely to make the roster as the backup quarterback to Andrew Luck.