Colts' Patience with Anthony Richardson Sr. May Be Thin

Breer gave several statements relating to this question and what has played out since Indy drafted the athletic field general.

The first had to do with the mistakes the Colts were willing to be patient with, at first.

"It's gotten to the point where some of the mistakes, some of the missteps that you were willing to absorb when he was a younger player, you're less willing to absorb now."

At first, Richardson appeared to be hitting a quick stride during his rookie year, but was taken out by an AC joint injury in his throwing shoulder. This limited him to just four games in 2023, but there was plenty to build off, despite a small sample.

But year two was a complete disaster for Richardson, playing only 11 games, sustaining more injuries, and turning the football over constantly (12 picks, nine fumbles). He would also complete less than 50 percent of his passes and looked like he couldn't keep up with NFL defenses.

Now, it appears the Colts believe he needs to sit behind Jones and continue his development mentally, rather than take real-time snaps in year three.

Breer continued by bringing up how the benefit of having Richardson on the field wasn't adding up to the issues happening under center.

"I think the benefit of having Anthony Richardson, from a physical standpoint out there, was no longer outweighing some of the things they were having to manage because his growth hadn't come along quick enough."

Richardson has unreal abilities, but none of it matters if he struggles to read defenses and make the necessary adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Richardson's injury issues also removed any chance for him to gain the valuable experience he needed in his first two years, playing in less than 50 percent of his possible 34 games, with only 15.

Breer also brought up how Richardson's lack of efficiency was affecting what the offense and the other 10 guys could accomplish.

"The issue for them is, the mistakes kept coming, and there wasn't the level of progress they needed. So, for those other 10 guys in the huddle, are you giving them the best answer?"

While Richardson had a pretty good preseason, one play stands out that displays his lack of awareness behind the line of scrimmage. During the first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, Richardson failed to see defensive edge David Ojabo off the right side of the line.

This ended with Richardson not making the correct throw to the flat or out, and him subsequently being destroyed in the backfield after locking his eyes to the left side of the field. He'd be knocked out of the game with another injury (dislocated finger).

Lastly, Breer discussed what the Colts were looking for in their starting quarterback. Simply put, just a player who could properly operate the offense. This was Jones, not Richardson.

"They were looking for somebody who could come in and just operate the offense at a high level."

'High level' isn't typically a phrase you hear with Jones in the statement, but given how bad Richardson was last year, it makes sense.

The Colts boast a solid offensive line, led by tackle Bernhard Raimann and seven-time Pro Bowl guard, Quenton Nelson. They also have weapons like running back Jonathan Taylor, tight end Tyler Warren, and a trio of promising wideouts in Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce.

It's hard for some fans to hear this, but Jones' floor is far higher than Richardson's, which might be all the Colts' offense needs to be a playoff-caliber unit. While Jones hasn't ever knocked the socks off of defenses with his conservative style, the Colts have enough promise to make defenses pay through a run-heavy scheme.

When it's all said and done, Jones currently helps Indy's offense more than Richardson. It's been an incredibly stressful and rough go of it for Richardson in the Circle City, and it appears to be stagnant at this time during a season where the squad must win in some capacity.

Can Jones find success with the Colts in his first season working with Steichen? There's a good chance, as long as he doesn't show the shakiness and inconsistency he did with the New York Giants.

If Jones struggles epically or gets injured, Richardson must be ready to step in and take full advantage of his chance to smash the critics and arguments that he's a QB bust.

Recommended Articles