The vibes were high for fans of the Indianapolis Colts on the night of April 27, 2023.
The Colts had just selected Anthony Richardson Sr. with the No.4 pick. The uber-athletic talent out of Florida was supposed to be Indy’s answer to their years-long quarterback carousel since the retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019. While Richardson was seen as a raw prospect, all the tools were there for him to develop into the Colts’ franchise quarterback for the next decade plus.
But after two injury-riddled seasons filled with incredible peaks and valleys, the Colts are no closer to knowing if Richardson is their quarterback of the future. He may not even be their quarterback of the present, as Richardson is entrenched in a competition with Daniel Jones for the starting spot. The two have been splitting first-team reps through the first six practices of training camp, with a decision on the starter by Shane Steichen not expected anytime soon.
While some quarterbacks would rebuff the notion of an open competition, Richardson has welcomed it. He understands the past two seasons have not been good enough for him to be given the job. Regardless, his preparation remains the same as if he were already named QB1.
“I just got to work as if I am going to be the day-one starter,” Richardson remarked. “Regardless of what decision they make, I’m still working, trying to improve and they’re going to make the best decision for the team, and that’s ultimately what we need. This team wants to win the Super Bowl. It’s not about me, it’s about the team.”
Richardson spent the majority of the offseason working with his private trainers, Will Hewlett and Dr. Tom Gormely, on improving his footwork and developing a wider base when throwing the football. A narrow base when releasing the football caused Richardson to routinely miss his receivers high. They drilled on keeping a wider base and more consistent footwork all offseason in an effort to make both second nature by the time Richardson returned for training camp.
“I feel like I have been slightly more consistent when it comes to my footwork, but it’s just me thinking about my reps that I’ve been doing during the offseason, and just thinking about mental cues for myself,” Richardson explained. “Just thinking about my base helping me deliver the ball and get the ball to the guys, and that’s really what I’ve been focused on – making sure I’m moving smooth in the pocket so I can get the playmakers the ball.”
The results have shown through the first week and a half of camp. Richardson has been more accurate with the ball, particularly on short-to-intermediate routes, and has begun to get into a rhythm with his receivers.
After struggling early, Richardson’s last two practices have been his best of camp. Monday’s 6-of-6 performance in 11-on-11 sessions was followed up with a 10-of-15, three-touchdown day on Tuesday. Richardson and others have noticed the difference in how he operates the offense and gets the ball to his weapons.
“I feel like I got more control over the ball,” Richardson admitted. “I feel like I’m getting the ball to them, but that’s my job as a quarterback – deliver the ball and make it so guys can go out there and make plays.”
“You can see the work that he has put in in the offseason,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “Anthony is diligent about his offseason work habits, and when you’ve been in the league a few years, you start figuring out areas to work on over your offseason. … That’s an important part of being a professional and playing at a really high level.”
While many will say that the quarterback competition sparked Richardson to work on his mechanics this offseason, the work began even before the Colts brought in Jones. After putting up a league-worst 47.7% completion percentage, Richardson knew his performance on the field was not good enough. He was not elevating his team like a franchise quarterback should.
Richardson has not been shy about wanting to be great from the moment he was drafted. However, to be great, the work has to be put in when nobody is watching. And even if Richardson does become great, the work will only need to continue.
“All the greats, they always do more,” Richardson stated. “They do more than what other people are expecting them to do. After last season, I felt like I needed to do more not only for the team, but for myself. If I want to be called a great and I want to be in the Hall of Fame one day, I have to do more. I know I have to go do things that other people won’t do.”
One of the ways Richardson is doing more is coming out to practice 15-20 minutes before everyone else to work through his play sheet. Richardson uses that time to think through the plays the Colts will run in practice, taking mental reps and imagining where he will go with the football on each read. It also helps him establish his wide base and the correct footwork before practice begins, creating further muscle memory.
By doing more, including the things that others won’t, Richardson hopes it will translate to the field for this team. He hopes it will be enough to win the starting quarterback job. And he hopes it will equate to wins for the Colts.
But this could be his last chance to prove he can be what the Colts envisioned for him all along. That can be a lot of pressure for a normal 23-year-old. However, Richardson has a different outlook on the entire situation.
“I’ve been dealing with adversity my whole life,” Richardson said. “Growing up, things weren’t the best, and my mom, she did her best to make it great for us. So, I just think back to that, and I remember what it was like back in those times, and my life is way better than what it was before, and I’m grateful for that. Not many people get an opportunity to be in the NFL. God blessed me enough to have the chance to do that. This organization believed in me enough to draft me first round, top-five pick.
“So I don’t think there’s any more pressure. It’s just me working hard and proving them right, and letting them know that they chose the right guy and just proving myself right and just letting me know that my hard work will eventually pay off. At the end of the day, God has it all written for me, and I’m just trying to do my part.”
If Richardson does end up proving the Colts right, we will likely look back to this point in time as when the talented prospect finally started realizing his stratospheric potential.
