This offseason, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson will be working with the same biometric expert that the Bills’ Josh Allen has used as he looks to add more consistency to his game.
In a recent article from Stephen Holder of ESPN, Holder reported that Richardson will be working with Chris Hess on refining his throwing motion.
Holder adds that throws on short to intermediate routes, along with throws that require more touch, and Richardson’s overall technique, including footwork, will be areas of emphasis for him this offseason.
Hess has played an important role in the growth that Allen has had in his career, with Allen calling Hess “the most influential person in my mechanical career.”
A biometric specialist, and a whole lot of reps
A deep dive on how @JoshAllenQB reined in his rocket arm, fixing his rookie year accuracy issues
pic.twitter.com/EL6wQmiRWl
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 9, 2025
Accuracy was one of the unknowns around Allen when he came out of Wyoming in 2018. During his first season, he completed only 53% of this throws and then just 58% in his second season.
However, in 2020, Allen saw massive growth in that regard, completing 68% of his throws that season, and since then, he’s completed 65% of his passes over the last four seasons combined.
This, of course, is an area where Richardson has really struggled in his career. In what was a small sample size from 2023 with Richardson playing in only four games, he completed 59.5% of his passes, but took a big step back in 2024, completing a league-low 47.7% of his throws, which included a turnover-worthy play rate of 4.7%–tied for the fifth-highest mark in football.
Richardson working with Hess obviously doesn’t guarantee any sort of success, but when it comes to potentially becoming a more accurate quarterback, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.