This isn’t the seventh inning stretch. There is still plenty of time for the young quarterback.
Major League Baseball got its dream World Series as the Dodgers and Yankees are set to square off for the game’s biggest prize. The Indianapolis Colts got an ideal pairing as well when they hired Shane Steichen and drafted Anthony Richardson. While each are finding their way through their second season, the grumblings for Joe Flacco are starting to appear throughout social media. While Flacco provides a stability that Richardson currently does not, making the move to the 39-year old veteran would be short sided. The team needs to let Richardson sink or swim, and the only way to do that is through more reps and game experience. There is still plenty of time for him to be a homerun of a pick.
Richardson has struggled mightily during his sophomore season. After seeing glimpses of greatness last year, it has been an adjustment for fans to understand that he needs more time to develop. We are seeing a lot of the downs this year as he has thrown off target and has had issues putting together sustained drives for the offense. Just because it may be frustrating at times, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be expected. It also doesn’t mean the pain won’t be worth the reward.
Welcome to the Anthony Richardson development season.
It gets scary here sometimes.
Like any great rollercoaster, to get to the thrill, you can’t be asking to get off in the middle of the ride:https://t.co/Hwg5dHhC7j
— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) October 21, 2024
It isn’t like Richardson is devoid of ability on the field. It is his second season, but he has barely played half a season worth of games at this point. I feel that he understands the game, knows what to do, and doesn’t seem panicked or overwhelmed. He struggles with accuracy and reading the field at times. Too many balls are overthrown or outside the reach of the receiver. At the same time, when he does make a completion, he is delivering some pretty passes. This is why I haven’t given up on him and won’t for some time. I need more data. Right now, it isn’t plentiful enough to ultimately decide his fate. I still believe the risk is worth the reward, and he can be a huge win for this franchise.
After being selected two years ago and playing a handful of games, Anthony Richardson needs time and patience from fans. If we want to be mediocre, let’s start Joe Flacco. We saw where a line of older quarterbacks got us. Not far. If we want a shot at greatness, we need to ride with Richardson. He is the closest thing on this roster that can get the team there. If the coaches can improve some of his fundamentals, we will see drastic improvement. There are plenty more at bats for the young signal caller to knock it out of the park.