Anthony Richardson's rookie season in the NFL was cut short due to injury, but the second-year Indianapolis Colts quarterback is trying to make the most of his opportunity now.
Richardson got the chance to show a lot and not so much at the same time last season when he scored 7 touchdowns and gained 713 yards in four games. He wowed fans with his ability in his relatively limited time on the field before missing the rest of the season due to surgery on his throwing shoulder.
Returning healthy for the start of this season, Richardson was named a team captain for a second consecutive season, evidence of the respect he has earned from his teammates despite only being 22 years old. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick has not had the easiest start to his second season, however.
Richardson and the Colts narrowly lost their season opener to the Houston Texans; the quarterback threw for 212 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an intreception, and ran for 56 yards and another touchdown in a 29-27 home loss to their AFC South rivals. During that game, Richardson notably made what is an early contender for throw of the year when he chucked a 60-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce that went nearly 70 yards through the air.
Week 2 was not as highlight-filled, as Richardson threw 3 interceptions in a 16-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, which puts him in a tie with Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix for the most interceptions thrown so far this season (4).
The Colts' locker room certainly has not lost faith in Richardson, though. In fact, a rough game like the one against Green Bay may only make the team support him more.
“I guess I show the team that I’m going to still be me regardless of what happened,” Richardson said while explaining how he won over his locker room, via The Athletic's James Boyd. “We have a big play, of course, I’m going to celebrate. But that’s in the past. We gotta keep it pushing. We have a bad play, I have to think about it and recover, but it’s still in the past. You’ve just gotta make it work. Go out there and ball out regardless of what happened. I think (I’ve) showed that to the squad, and I feel like everybody’s rallying behind me.”
For the season, Richardson is completing 49.1% of his passes, the lowest in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks, has thrown for 416 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson and the Colts will have a great opportunity to capture their first win of the season Sunday when they play the Chicago Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.