By now you’ve all heard about Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson taking himself out of the game last Sunday against the Houston Texans, citing fatigue as the reason for his one play departure.
Besides stunning the Colts coaching staff and then making the plane ride home back to Indy a bit uncomfortable by speaking about it to writers after the game in the post-game press conference, Richardson made the decision for his employer to bench him for the upcoming game against Minnesota both easy and prudent.
The reality is this move was based on a multitude of reasons and is simply just the latest setback in a brief but tumultuous tenure for this talented and incredibly athletic young man, who has found the NFL learning curve to be both steep and difficult. While an array of injuries has clearly stunted his overall development, there’s also the pressure of being the overall fourth pick of the 2023 draft after a brief stint at the University of Florida where his athleticism and size convinced the Colts brass that he has all the tools necessary to become a successful NFL QB.
Despite the obvious talent Richardson possesses, the jump to NFL competition has been beyond daunting, and many so-called experts are casting serious doubt as to if this young man can ever become a polished passer and serve as an elite player.
I myself recently wrote that Joe Flacco is currently better suited to be No. 1 on the Colts depth chart, despite feeling Richardson is the future of a franchise that has never recovered from the crushing demise of one Andrew Austen Luck.
Be it injuries, the complexities of NFL defenses or the merry-go-round of offensive lineman he has lined up behind, employee number five has a confidence problem, and it’s one that will not go away with an extended benching no matter what the powers that be at West 56th Street have to say about the man.
Despite this dilemma the Colts somehow remain in the Wild Card hunt and while making the playoffs certainly matters to the season ticket holder base, so does the maturation process of Richardson.
There’s only one way to resolve the situation and that’s continuing to run him out there week after week as your starter and find out what he ultimately can or perhaps can’t do.
The Colts pushed all their chips into the middle of the table when they drafted him and gambled he was indeed the one who can take them to the promised land of playoff success and eventually an NFL championship. Now he’s on the bench for several reasons this weekend and not just for last Sunday’s debacle where he claimed to be tired.
Be it injuries, erratic throws or simply making bad decisions in the proverbial heat of the moment, Richardson is in a dark place, and his career is on the line.
There’s a lot of people much smarter about football than me in the Colts organization, but again, this young man has doubts about his ability to perform at a high level and no quarterback whisperer alone can resolve that. Only Richardson himself can crawl out of the hole he’s in and won’t be able to do it while riding the bench as a backup.
The Colts have a choice to make, and it will probably get uglier the longer they keep who they deemed their franchise quarterback on the sidelines holding a darn clipboard.
Put him back in the fray after the Minnesota game, and let the young man make the decision for you.
Danny Bridges, who is still pulling for Richardson to shine can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.