Stampede Blue
The third-year quarterback is slated to train with Chris Hess, the renowned guru who ‘fixed’ Josh Allen’s mechanics.
Anthony Richardson’s sophomore campaign saw more setbacks than it did steps in the right direction. A season marred by off-the-field antics, so much so that it trickled into becoming an on-the-field concern, Richardson’s second year as an NFL starting QB proved that he still has a ways to go, in multiple facets.
Welcoming questions and concerns in all phases of being a franchise QB is not how Anthony Richardson pictured nor wanted his second season in the NFL to go, especially after returning from a season-ending injury that cut his rookie season short. Still, he’s looking to right his wrongs in the offseason — his first full offseason free from injury.
Richardson’s durability concerns are undeniably valid at this point in his career. He missed the majority of his rookie season and followed that up by six more games as a second-year player — four games missed due to injury while two missed games were spent serving a demotion.
Injury concerns aside, Richardson is poised to better himself as an NFL quarterback in his first full offseason since entering the league with a trip to the Chris Hess self-discovery center of quarterbacking.
Hess, founder of Biometrek, uses biomechanics to analyze athletes’ movements and ‘fix’ the false steps of sorts that limit them from reaching their potential.
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Anthony Richardson will pair up with Hess to work on simplifying the ‘easy’ short throws when training back in Florida this offseason, as well as trying to implement more touch on his throws. Richardson’s technique will be centerstage in this makeover process as his mechanics will be reworked.
Hess’s most prized possession thus far is that of Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen’s surge to superstardom after proving to be a raw product two years into his NFL career.
Heading into his third season in the NFL, Allen was sitting with a 55.8% career completion percentage. In 2020, Allen posted a 69% completion percentage after just one offseason with Chris Hess.
In 2020, after working with Chris Hess, Josh Allen evolved into his next form. Allen’s completion percentage jumped +17% from his rookie year, an NFL record improvement over a two-year span.
In a clip from NFL Films, HOF QB Troy Aikman discusses how Allen’s improvement, especially in a short time, is something he previously felt was impossible to achieve. “I’ve always believed that accuracy is something that you really can’t coach. Guys can either put the ball where they want to put it or they can’t,” said Aikman. “Josh Allen proved me wrong on this.”
When asked how this abrupt pivot to mechanics can be internalized as common knowledge moving forward, Josh Allen explained that repetition is key.
“A lot of reps. There are still certain times when you’re in the pocket, it feels like you let one go over the top, and you’re back too...
