Every offseason lists of breakout candidates are put together for each team, and the Indianapolis Colts have one of the more intriguing names to watch for 2024 in the form of quarterback Anthony Richardson.
After his rookie season was cut short due to a Grade 3 AC joint sprain that required season-ending surgery in October, there is plenty of excitement to see the 2023 No. 4 overall pick return to the field.
Pro Football Focus listed him as the Colts’ early breakout candidate for the 2024 campaign.
Richardson dealt with a lot of injuries in just four appearances this season before being shut down for the remainder of his rookie year before Week 5. However, during those four appearances, Richardson threw for three touchdowns, rushed for four more and threw just one interception in his limited playing time. He displayed a lot of the true dual-threat ability that he was drafted for and if he can avoid injuries, he should be able to deliver on a much larger scale in Year 2.
Richardson is expected to begin throwing sometime soon as he prepares to make his return for the spring practices. It isn’t clear how long his throwing program will take so his status for OTAs and minicamp is still up in the air.
Despite his inexperience entering the NFL, Richardson showed immense poise during his brief stint as the starter. He never looked overwhelmed and even flashed the ability to take over games with big plays when needed.
There are still a number of area Richardson must continue developing, but the future is bright for the young quarterback, and it’s not at all unreasonable to believe he’s the top breakout candidate in the entire NFL entering 2024.
