The Indianapolis Colts came dangerously close to making the NFL Playoffs last season, despite the fact that their day one starter at quarterback, 4th overall pick Anthony Richardson, was limited to just 84 pass attempts over the course of four games. Injuries robbed Richardson of what looked like it was bound to be an exciting and successful rookie season, and football fans of one year of an impending rivalry between Richardson and the reigning NFL Rookie of the Year, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud.
There's no shortage of young star quarterbacks around the NFL, and particularly in the AFC, where Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson are well-established as the top tier of quarterbacks in the league. But Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud are on the come up, and this rivalry between two of the brightest young stars in the AFC South might very well become this generation's version of Marino vs. Kelly, Aikman vs. Young, or best case scenario, Brady vs. Manning.
During a recent appearance on the Up & Adams Show, Anthony Richardson explained that while he and Stroud are cool off the field, once they put the Colts and Texans uniforms on, all bets are off.
Colts vs. Texans could be defining NFL rivalry of the 2020's
As long as both Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud pan out, the Colts and Texans are in terrific position to contend in the AFC for the foreseeable future. Given how impressive Stroud was during his rookie season, there's really no reason to believe that there's a backslide coming for him any time soon. But had Richardson stayed healthy, it's possible that the Rookie of the Year award might've gone to Indianapolis rather than Houston.
Anthony Richardson was already turning heads as a pure passer before a shoulder injury cost him the final few months of his rookie season. This wasn't necessarily the expectation when the Colts drafted him. It's no secret that Richardson hit the genetic lottery jackpot, but there were concerns that it would take time for him to develop in that regard. Only four games in, Richardson looked like he was ahead of the curve already, and he was every bit as breathtaking of an athlete as we imagined he'd be coming out of the University of Florida.
NFL fans won't need to wait long for the first matchup between these two teams during the 2024 season. The Texans visit the Colts on the opening Sunday of the season, and whoever comes out on top not only gets the early leg up in this budding rivalry, but their team gets the early edge in the race to clinch a Playoff berth and win the AFC South.
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