If you looked up “roller-coaster season” in the dictionary, the Indianapolis Colts 2023-2024 campaign would likely come up; it’s hard to argue a single team had as much of an up-and-down year as Indy did in recent memory. Ever since 2019, when Andrew Luck stepped away from football, Indianapolis has been a franchise on the hunt for the next great young quarterback, and they may have found that in Anthony Richardson.
Richardson was the peak for this Colts team, and while it was short lived, it was everything to the franchise. The 22-year-old split reps with veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew in an attempt to develop the young signal caller, while also giving him important game time. Richardson was breaking in nicely. He was throwing the ball at a high level for a rookie, his scramble game was on point, and he was finding the back of the endzone and picking up big gains numerous times. However, in his week five showdown against the Tennessee Titans, Richardson awkwardly landed on his shoulder after getting hit on a run. Unfortunately, he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery, missing the rest of his rookie campaign.
Despite Richardson being out for the entire year, the season wasn’t a total wash for the Colts, as the team barely missed the playoffs, stringing together a 9-8 campaign. Now, with Richardson behind center full-time, the Colts have some real offensive weapons. Jonathan Taylor finally looks like he’s in full health, and Michael Pittman Jr. is ready to get back at it with consistent quarterback play as an above-average wide receiver. Josh Downs is a big-time playmaker from the slot and could make a big second-year leap for this franchise.
What makes Richardson so dangerous? While many are quick to point out the threat he possesses on the ground game, the former Florida Gator is successful at determining whether he has time to sit in the pocket, which is a solid trait any successful NFL quarterback has in their repertoire. This is important because, as talented as the young signal caller is on the ground, it is not a sustainable offensive practice for him to carry the football as much as he does. Even before his season-ending injury, Richardson had to be sidelined for two weeks, meaning he missed time in three of his first five appearances. However, it should be noted that these injuries were unrelated to each other, as he missed two games with a concussion. This situation becomes more delicate because a scrambling quarterback is no longer a rarity, but rather a necessity for the modern NFL offense. However, when you consider who the Indy head coach is, there is no reason to believe the scramble is going away.
Shane Steichen is in his second year as the Colts’ head coach, and if his 13-year experience tells you anything, it’s that Richardson will be a runner. Before taking the Indy job, the California native was the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles for two seasons, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. As the offensive coordinator, Steichen’s most significant undertaking was how he developed All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts. Under Steichen’s tenure, Hurts hit career highs in every passing category. Not to mention, the signal caller was also putting up over 700 yards on the ground, as well as double digit rushing touchdowns for good measure. Richardson can match Hurts’ incredible leap; he just needs to be healthy and improve on some weak points.
Some analysts are not aboard the Richardson train, and one reason is his footwork is not on-par with other elite quarterbacks. This was evident in the Colts’ final preseason matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. One miss was on third-and-eight with 2:12 left in the first quarter, when Richardson had Adonai Mitchell wide open on the left side of the field on an out route. Instead of shifting his body to the left, the signal caller kept his body aligned down the middle, causing him to airmail his receiver and thus kill a potential big gain. Richardson also added a pick six and some more bad throws to his night. Another red flag with the young quarterback is his lack of high-level football experience, as week one will be only his 18th game since high school.
Despite this shaky performance, I see Richardson making significant strides this year. Many starters were sitting out for Indy and Richardson’s footwork issue is very fixable. Also, making throws like he did in the preseason early on is common for young quarterbacks. The Colts cannot give up hope on Richardson, as he needs to struggle in order to develop and learn from his mistakes.
Of course, there are going to be learning curbs for Richardson, and it won’t always be pretty. However, don’t be surprised when the signal caller leads a top-five offense in the league and marches into the postseason. The talent is there. The big question is how long it will take for Richardson to get to game speed, which all fans should be on the lookout for. When he does, the sky is the limit for Indy.