When the Indianapolis Colts officially named Daniel Jones their new head coach over Anthony Richardson, it turned heads around the NFL.
Sure, Richardson has been inconsistent to say the least, struggling with his placement while being on-and-off the field due to injury, but he was just drafted fourth overall out of Florida in 2023, and won't turn 24 until next May. Will spending time on the bench limit Richardson's development moving forward?
While it's hard to say, in the opinion of Colts head coach Shane Steichen, Richardson doesn't have to disengage from preparing like a starter, as he's just one play away from returning to the field.
“Yeah, I mean, I've had conversations with him. Obviously, he's our backup quarterback right now and still attacking it the right way, coming in, being a pro, getting in here early, taking care of his body, rehab, treatment, and then in the QB room, preparing like you're the starter. I think we got a great QB room with really bright minds in there, and everyone kind of ping-pongs off each other,” Steichen explained.
“And then on the practice field, making sure he's working on his fundamentals and details, you know, running the scout team, making sure that's on point and getting better there. And then, obviously, when meetings are over, you know, making sure we're watching cut-ups, third down, red zone, all those things throughout the week, knowing that, you know, he's one play away from playing.”
On one hand, the Colts' highest ceiling is for Richardson to figure it all out and become the player many celebrated coming out of college, an elite athletic weapon the likes of which Florida hadn't seen since Cam Newton. With that in mind, if the Colts struggle again, one has to wonder if Steichen will be the coach who eventually benefits from Richardson's development, as he could very well be on the way out of Indianapolis if the team struggles this fall. For better or worse, that dynamic has defined the summer for the Colts, and job security appears to have won out over development in the struggle.
