It was an up-and-down season for the Indianapolis Colts’ second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson in 2024. But running back Jonathan Taylor remains confident in what’s ahead for both Richardson and the team.
“We’re behind him 100 percent,” said Taylor in an interview with Pro Football Network’s David Bearman at Radio Row. “So I’m super excited for the season coming up.”
While the hope going into 2024 was that Richardson would take a big step forward in Year 2, that wasn’t how things would play out.
Inconsistent play on the field oftentimes resulted in the Colts’ offense as a whole sputtering. While Richardson showcased his ability to generate big plays, taking advantage of the short to intermediate parts of the field regularly eluded him.
Richardson finished the 2024 season completing just 47.7% of his throws at a modest 6.9 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
Off the field, the Colts wanted Richardson to hit the reset button during the middle portion of the season and really focus in on the day to day details and all that goes into being a successful quarterback in the NFL. Richardson was doing what was expected, but as a franchise quarterback, part of the job description is going above and beyond.
This resulted in Richardson being benched for two games in which Joe Flacco took over as the starter.
Upon Richardson’s return to the starting lineup in Week 11, we did see some improved play. He led two fourth quarter comebacks in his first three games back, and from a process-standpoint, was operating at a higher level.
“Number one is when he’s on the field, you get a sense of no one can stop us,” said Taylor. “When you look at the physical traits that he has, but then also the things that the fans don’t necessarily see that we see in the building is he’s in his playbook. He’s watching film. So you know he has the work ethic. You know he’s putting the work in.”
Unfortunately, Richardson would miss the final two games of the season due to back spasms.
From the sounds of it, there will be competition brought in for Richardson this offseason. GM Chris Ballard mentioned during his season-ending press conference that Richardson has to prove he can stay healthy for a full 17 games and they also need to see more consistency from him.
A big difference between this offseason and last for Richardson is that he is fully healthy this time around. That will be an important factor when it comes to his growth from Year 2 to Year 3.
The talent that Richardson possesses is undeniable. He can make every throw on the field, he can evade pressure with the best of them, and defenses defend the Colts’ running game specifically, differently when Richardson is under center.
Now, it’s about being more steady overall in order to get the most out of this Colts’ offense.
“When that all comes together for a young player with the type of talent he has, he’s going to be a very, very special player in this league. And he’s going to lead this team to do great things.”
