The Indianapolis Colts have confirmed their intention to retain quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Richardson had an incredibly rough start to his pro career. The organization is as sold on him as they are hopeful that they can raise him to be their next leader on-field.
It’s worth noting that Richardson, who was limited to just 13 starts in his final college season and has played in only 15 games as a pro overall. His completion percentage is a pathetic 47.7% on the season. In fact, it prompted head coach Shane Steichen to bench him for two games during the 2022 season. In this stretch, we saw veteran quarterback Joe Flacco make his in-season replacement debut.
This season became a breakthrough for Richardson. By all accounts from inside the Colts organization, this was his best training camp to date. General Manager Chris Ballard has had multiple discussions with Richardson’s agent, Deiric Jackson, regarding the young quarterback’s progress and the team’s approach moving forward.
“There’s a lot of value in sitting behind a guy that’s a professional and watching and learning and growing and working on the things you need to work on without the same pressure of being the starter,” Ballard stated, emphasizing the importance of patience in Richardson’s growth.
Jackson pushed back a little on his irritation at how the Colts have treated Richardson, but credited Richardson for the 180. Anthony returned and honed his craft within the type of areas that he needed to improve upon. And by all accounts, he had a fantastic camp,” Jackson continued.
Steichen had made the call to start Daniel Jones a week prior over Richardson. Still, Ballard is bullish on what lies ahead for Richardson. It’s a hard ask for any young quarterback in this league. Despite not always getting where he intends to go, his devotion to personal development and work ethic bode well at times, even if you’re not looking at the end product yet.
Steichen similarly offered his insight on Richardson’s development, echoing that it’s been a huge step forward for the rookie signal caller. “I do believe that his progress has been good,” Steichen remarked.
Whatever Fleischer might have meant by those comments, Chris Ballard has gone to great lengths to say he’s not trading Richardson. What should now be clear is the Colts’ commitment to continue developing his talent and providing a proper ecosystem for him to flourish in. The organization has been unwavering in their conviction that Richardson has the tools to become a successful NFL quarterback.
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