Are the Indianapolis Colts finished with Anthony Richardson? There has been a lot of talk (maybe too much talk) about the team’s decision to start Daniel Jones over Richardson at the quarterback position. But, simply not winning the job doesn’t mean the team is moving on completely from the 2023 fourth-overall pick.
However, some of the comments from coaches make it sound like he’s a lost cause and it seems to be related to consistency or lack thereof. Quarterbacks coach Cam Turner on Wednesday addressed a reporter’s question about whether the Colts’ organization failed Richardson or vice versa.
“As a position coach, you want to see your guys succeed and be successful, naturally,” Turner said. “I feel like I’ve tried everything I can do, and I feel like he’s given great effort in that aspect too. I don’t think either way it’s one or the other. I just think right now, the consistency is just not where we want it to be.”
Contrary to popular belief, that is not a ringing endorsement of Richardson moving forward with the franchise.
Cam Turner says the complete opposite about Jones
Turner’s comments are quite telling. We all know there really isn’t much upside with Jones; he is what he is at this point. It seems like Jones was more of a downside move, meaning the lesser of two evils.
Turner was asked about the decision to go with Jones as the Week 1 starter and it’s exactly why they can’t stand Richardson.
“The ball’s in the right spot at the right time, and he’s proven it through the spring, OTAs, through training camp,” Turner said. “It’s just the consistency. You know what you’re getting, you trust the decision-making, and then the accuracy has been very good.”
It’s kind of like that last-minute trip to McDonald’s when you’re starving. No, it’s not a gourmet meal, but it won’t cost much and at least you know what you’re getting.
Colts head coach echoes Cam Turner’s thoughts
On Tuesday, Colts’ head coach Shane Steichen pretty much gave the same explanation as Turner did. So, there is no way that Richardson’s “consistency” isn’t the main reason he lost the job. At the very least, that’s the company line at the moment and we’ll have to wait for the “you saw him voluntarily leave the Texans game last year, right?” stories.
“You guys heard me talk about the consistency and that’s really what I was looking for,” Steichen said when the announcement was made. “Really the operation at the line of scrimmage, the checks, the protection, the ball placement, the completion percentage. All that played a factor in it. I think Daniel did a great job doing that, and I think [Richardson] has made strides in that area, but I do feel that he needs to continue to develop in those areas.”
The Colts are doing their best to sound encouraging, but I think the final decision on Richardson’s future has been made. There are too many rumors of preparation problems to go with injuries and overall poor play. Those factors form an amalgam of awful that leads a reasonable person to conclude that Richardson is not an NFL-caliber starting quarterback.
Richardson is firmly in the “change of scenery” bucket.
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