Colts 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson has a big believer in one of the mainstream members of NFL media.
According to ESPN’s Mina Kimes on Friday’s NFL Live, Indianapolis Colts 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson ‘can take a big leap this year for a number of reasons’:
“But I really believe Anthony Richardson can take a big leap this year for a number of reasons,” Kimes said during Friday’s NFL Live show. One, (Colts head coach) Shane Steichen confirmed last season what we all believed when he was hired from Philadelphia. He is a brilliant play caller. Remarkably quarterback friendly offense for Gardner Minshew despite some up-and-down play from the quarterback. I thought it was very encouraging to see that Colts offensive line play more like they did back in 2020 or so, or before then, after some regression—which is of course is meaningful for Richardson.”
“And then the group of skill players, one of my favorite picks in the entire draft was AD Mitchell going to the Colts, in part because of his upside as a true ‘X’ receiver, but also because of how he fits in with Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. I view them as very complementary with Mitchell being the guy that can really take the top off a defense downfield. Everything is set up for Richardson. I haven’t even mentioned Jonathan Taylor by the way. [Richardson] just has to take that leap, but I think he is entering a situation where he will be set up to do so.”
It’s always great to see the Colts get some high praise from well-regarded national NFL media members such as Kimes—and if you’re a member of the Horseshoe faithful, it’s hard to necessarily disagree right now.
Richardson had a tantalizing start to his rookie season, showcasing the arm strength, speed, and athleticism that made him a Top 5 pick by Indy, but perhaps most importantly as a passer, showcasing a pocket presence, poise, and progression of routes that was well beyond his years at just 21 years-of-age. In reality, he is much further along than ‘the raw passing project’ that many draft pundits labeled him as. That, when coupled with his dual-threat dynamic ability, makes Richardson’s upside and potential truly sky-high.
Not only will Richardson get to share behind center with star workhorse Jonathan Taylor, who only played 2 snaps with the rookie quarterback last year before the latter was shut down due to a season-ending shoulder surgery, but the Colts have continued to add to their budding offense.
Specifically, Indianapolis drafted 2nd round deep threat AD Mitchell, who should test Richardson’s cannon of an arm downfield, as well as two young offensive linemen relatively early on (Pitt’s Matt Goncalves and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini). It’s also worth noting that Richardson did not get to play with big bodied tight end Jelani Woods last year, who was never active due to season-ending hamstring injuries.
With Steichen calling the shots offensively, the Colts have placed Richardson in a fairly favorable position to succeed going forward. It’s just a matter of one of the top young promising quarterbacks staying fully healthy and building off the initial start to his pro career.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login