The Indianapolis Colts fell to the Houston Texans in the return of the NFL regular season action. Despite the loss to a divisional rival, the sky is not falling on the Colts. Quite the contrary, actually, as the Colts’ QB Anthony Richardson has revealed his thoughts and believes the sky may actually be the limit. The rest of the league would do well to take notice of what is brewing in Indy.
Second year quarterback Richardson is not an easy evaluation. He may be a sophomore but he has just played his fifth game in the NFL. The Florida Gators prospect has had a rough start to his journey, injury-wise. Regardless the potential cannot be overlooked. Through many stages of the game against the Texans Richardson showcased great qualities and made big plays, the question falls on whether his style is sustainable.
“It’s like I talked about with Tom Brady. He’s a freakin’ genius when it comes to football, and he made all of the throws, not just the exciting ones,” Anthony Richardson said, via The Athletic. “I want to continue adding that to my game to go with the physical tools and everything else. Because if I put it all together, man… The world can’t stop me.”
Richardson finished the Colts loss in week 1 to the Texans with 212 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Despite making one of the best plays of the weekend on a deep TD pass to Alec Pierce, Richardson was off his mark repeatedly and some missed throws could have changed the outcome. His below 50% completion rate is worrisome, and has to be addressed going forward.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) passes the ball during NFL, American Football Herren, USA preseason game action against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Richardson is a freak athlete, his body allows him to make plays most quarterbacks wouldn’t even dare think of. However, that boldness has also become a source of trouble for the Colts.
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Richardson’s injury history
The best ability is availability. Indianapolis relies on their signal caller to stay healthy and do not ask him to be the hero week in and week out. The team has Jonathan Taylor to carry the load of rushing attempts and a solid offensive line. However, since his NFL debut Richardson has as many injuries as wins (2).
Of course, Richardson is one of the most electric players to see in todays league, he can make magic happen from any play. However, fans have not enjoyed him nearly as much due to the amount of games he has missed.
During his second professional game Anthony suffered a concussion which sidelined him for the week 3 match in the 2023 NFL season. Only two weeks later, the Colts quarterback injured his throwing shoulder and had to undergo season-ending surgery.
Anthony Richardson has all the tools to succeed and become a top talent in the NFL. He may make some bad plays as any rookie QB does in their first games. Richardson’s biggest skepticism is located on his health. The other issues like his bad throws or decisions can be coached through.
Jury is still out on Richardson. Some believe the injuries were just unfortunate, others point to an over-aggressive playstile. Whichever the reason, if he cannot stay on the field for the most part of a season, then Richardson’s warning to the NFL may fall in the terrain of the “What If’s?”.
