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Colts QB Anthony Richardson looks like he’s taken a major leap forward as of late since being reinserted as the starter.
Indianapolis Colts 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson has seemingly looked like a different passer since being reinstated as the starter after a recent two-game benching.
During his last three starts, Richardson has completed 43 of 82 pass attempts (52.4%), 553 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and has only been sacked twice.
He’s also compiled 29 carries for 141 rushing yards (4.86 ypc. avg.) and 3 rushing touchdowns during that same 3-game span.
The Colts have gone 2-1 during those 3 starts.
Whether it’s been as a result of added ‘attention to detail’ in his preparation—whether through his improved practice habits or extra film study at Colts H.Q., or more so just being able to play ‘loose and free’ after a brief reset and sideline breather, either way, Richardson has looked like he’s taken a step forward as a starting NFL quarterback.
Poised. Cool. Calm. Collected.
The situation hasn’t appeared to be too big for him when it’s mattered most, and he’s delivered clutch plays late for the Colts in victory.
Heck, Colts linebacker and captain Zaire Franklin called him ‘the team’s best player.’
Yes, there’s the occasional, “Yeah, you shouldn’t have made that throw!”
However, there’s that with any young quarterback, let alone one that the Colts knew had limited starting experience when selecting him as a 20-year-old in the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Florida with just 13 starts (and having only made 4 starts last year as an NFL rookie before a season-ending shoulder injury).
Right now, Richardson is playing composed, calculated football. While he’s shown he can put on the Superman cape in the 4th quarter and late in games recently, he’s not trying to do too much and make the home run swing on every throw. Instead, he’s hitting the singles and doubles when necessary to keep the chains moving and sustain long scoring drives.
While we knew the impressive pocket presence has always been there, he’s looking like a young quarterback well beyond his years when factoring in everything else—and one who’s taken another step forward in his continued growth and development.
From that standpoint, he’s much closer to being the Colts long-term answer as their next franchise quarterback than he was only just a few weeks ago—when he had already been written off by a lot of national media folks and even some members of the Horseshoe Faithful alike during his 2-game benching and infamous ‘tap-out.’
