The Indianapolis Colts absolutely pasted the Cincinnati Bengals in their third and final preseason game this weekend 41-14 (you can watch all of the hard-hitting fireworks right here).
No one really cares about the results, but some Colts fans could be scratching their heads as to why Anthony Richardson didn’t play. Sure, he lost the starting job (for now) to Daniel Jones, but should the team have really rested him? Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star doesn’t think it was wise.
“If the Colts want to still develop (Richardson) as they say, and he’s not going to get reps beyond the scout team for as long as Daniel Jones is healthy, then this was an opportunity to work through some of the operational issues the Colts say have been holding him back,” Atkins writes.
He’s correct, how will a guy – who clearly needs a lot of reps and work if he’s ever going to be worth a darn – get better by watching a third preseason game?
So, why aren’t the Colts giving Anthony Richardson reps?
Atkins raises a good point. Are you resigned to Richardson as a backup for right now? Or, do you believe at this point he’ll never be anything more than an NFL backup? Are the Colts finished with him as an organization and looking for exits?
“If the Colts aren’t playing him because they can’t risk an injury to their backup quarterback, they are sending the message that they prioritize that backup role much more than they do his actual development,” Atkins continues. “That makes it harder to believe in a path forward here, and it leaves him sort of twisting in the wind in the meantime.”
He’s exactly right. What are the Colts doing with him at this point? It makes perfect sense if they didn’t want to risk injury because they aren’t sold on Jones and know that Richardson will need to start at some point this season.
Both the Colts and Anthony Richardson have botched his development
Maybe the Colts tried to make Richardson a starter in his career before he was ready. Everyone knew that the fourth-overall pick in 2023 was coming in raw. He didn’t play a ton at the University of Florida and his game needed polish. Like…lot of it.
It’s not crazy for a high draft pick to be handed the keys to the starting quarterback position. NFL teams do it constantly these days. In fact, it’s much more rare to see a highly touted prospect actually sit behind a veteran as they are groomed for the starting role. But, whatever rope Richardson was given, he tied it around both ankles and fell to the ground.
Richardson has often been injured and pretty awful when he did play. That’s not the Colts’ fault. But, their awkward handling of him can’t be discounted. They don’t still view him as a starter – regardless of what they say – and it sounds like head coach Shane Steichen just wants to keep him healthy as a Jones’ insurance policy at this point.
“I think he’s one play away from going into an actual game and don’t want to take the risk there,” Steichen said.
He then proceeded to make is sound like they still see him as some sort of long-term plan even though Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard surely won’t be around to see that come to fruition.
“He’s 23-years old,” Steichen continued. “He’s still learning, still growing, and for the first time in his career, this is an opportunity for him to sit at the start of the season and learn in a different light and attack it the right way.”
If you have any idea what the Colts’ plan is for Richardson at this point, tell us in the comments.
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