Insider: Vagabond QB Morris hopes to settle in with Colts

• Colts at Bengals, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, WXIN-59

The Indianapolis Colts had five quarterbacks on their roster at the conclusion of the 2015 season not named Andrew Luck.

Only one of them was retained — the one considered least likely to be back.

The Colts clearly saw something in Stephen Morris that prompted that decision. They might have moved on from Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, Josh Freeman and Ryan Lindley, but Morris was a keeper, the Colts concluded.

So far, Morris has made that decision appear sound. Though he’s on his third team in the past two years, he’s only now beginning to grow into the role of NFL quarterback, something he has displayed throughout the preseason. He’ll get one final opportunity to further exhibit that when the Colts face the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night in their preseason finale.

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As the team’s third quarterback, it’s a prime opportunity for Morris, who could play the majority of the game.

His hope is that he can continue to show the benefits of being in one place since last December, when the Colts plucked him off the Eagles practice squad.

“The biggest thing is having consistency in a program and an offense, having something that’s stable,” Morris said. “When you’re bouncing around, it’s hard to learn a new playbook and then try to perform. The best thing is I’ve had a long time to study the book — OTAs, training camp, preseason — so that was awesome.”

Morris has taken advantage, completing 19-of-31 passes (61.3 percent) for a team-high 314 yards this preseason, averaging 10.1 yards per attempt — third-most in the NFL in the preseason. It’s exhibition football, so it’s not much. But for a guy who was undrafted out of Miami (Fla.) in 2014, then been something of a vagabond since — stints with Jacksonville and Philadelphia before joining the Colts — it’s everything.

Morris has demonstrated a few important traits this preseason: He has shown an ability to throw the ball with accuracy; he has shown  off his athleticism; and he has managed the offense and huddle with savvy. Those are the hallmarks of an NFL quarterback.

But whether it’s good enough to crack the Colts’ roster is another thing. Indianapolis, especially with its injury situation and roster constraints, seems destined to keep just two quarterbacks on its 53-man active roster (Luck and Scott Tolzien). That could relegate Morris to the practice squad if he’s waived Saturday, when final cuts are due. If that’s his fate, he gives the Colts a young, developmental quarterback with more upside than Chandler Harnish, who hung around for parts of 2012-14.

But Morris’ performance this preseason could boost his chances of landing elsewhere if and when a need for a quarterback arises on another team. It’s how he got to Indianapolis in the first place, acquired after Hasselbeck suffered a series of injuries after replacing Luck.

Morris knows the Colts, and others, are watching. And he thinks he has given them an eyeful.

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“I just want them to see my ability to move the ball and make smart decisions,” Morris said. “I think I’ve been smart with the ball, not really forcing anything.”

He added, “I think it’s maturity and growth. Just developing at a faster pace and learning this offense, being more comfortable with it. I think (offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski) is a hell of a coach. He knows what to call, he knows how to get the ball to the playmakers. Our job is just to go through our reads and make the right decision.”

Morris survived last year’s quarterback purge, even though he might not survive the Colts’ final cuts this week.

Still, he has given the Colts — and 31 other teams — much to think about.

Note: The Colts signed safety Alden Darby. They waived inside linebacker Anthony Sarao and cornerback Darius White, and placed safety Dezmen Southward on the Injured Reserve list.

Follow IndyStar Colts Insider Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.

Colts at Bengals, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, WXIN-59