INDIANAPOLIS – Anthony Richardson served what amounted to a two-week timeout.
Shane Steichen decided the face of the franchise wasn’t approaching the enormous challenge and responsibility of being that guy with the necessary dedication and urgency. Certainly not on a day-to-day basis.
That led to Richardson being benched after six starts this season and 10 in his oh-so-brief NFL career, and veteran Joe Flacco being handed the reins of the offense.
And let’s be honest, it’s bound to be difficult for a 20-year-old with just 13 college starts to fully understand the brave new world he’s walking into when 1) the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, 2) sign him to a fully-guaranteed four-year, $33.99 million contract that included a $21.7 million signing bonus and 3) name him the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL and in the history of the club after just one preseason game.
Somewhere along the way, Richardson’s youthfulness and naivete contributed to losing his way on how to do one of the most difficult jobs on the planet.
Wednesday, Steichen finally elaborated on what led to Richardson’s initial benching and the decision to return the present and future of the franchise to a uniquely gifted 6-4, 250-pound talent with an incredible ceiling.
He talked about the process Richardson has been going through.
“It’s the attention to detail in everything he does,’’ Steichen said. “From the classrooms to the walkthrus to practice to the weight room. It’s got to be a higher standard.’’
So, in two weeks, Richardson displayed a more committed approach to doing whatever it takes to lead an offense, to be the young catalyst for a team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2020.
He’s the Colts’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s road test against the New York Jets, and beyond.
“He’s going to start the rest of the season and we’re going to go from there,’’ Steichen said. “Got great faith in him and his abilities to be our franchise quarterback.’’
What did Richardson attempt to prove to Steichen, general manager Chris Ballard and owner Jim Irsay during his “timeout?’’
“Just show that I’m willing to be a pro and I’m willing to sacrifice anything that I need to do for the team,’’ Richardson said. “I feel like these past two weeks, it’s definitely opened my eyes and allowed me to have the opportunity to do that and just take a deeper dive and look into myself and see what I’m really made of. So, I’m thankful for these past two weeks and I’m lowkey glad it happened.’’
Richardson always has been seen as the uber-talented QB capable of helping return the Colts to relevancy.
Still is.
“We know what he can do on the football field,’’ Steichen said. “And he is the future of our organization.’’
If outsiders had a doubt that was the case during the past two weeks and even after 10 starts – Richardson is 5-5 as a starter with seven TDs, eight interceptions a poor 68.8 passer rating; but has rushed for 378 yards and five TDs – his teammates never lost faith.
And no one should doubt that.
“When it did happen a couple of weeks back, we knew it wasn’t something that was going to be permanent,’’ Michael Pittman Jr. said. “He is our guy and he’s going to be the guy going forward for a very long time here. I think it’s good that we get him in there because he is the future. I think he definitely grew from that experience. It’s almost like it was a little wake-up call.’’
Linebacker Zaire Franklin is in his fifth year as a team captain, and his voice in the locker room carries weight.
“I never doubted who he is,’’ he said Wednesday. “I never doubted, I mean, since the day he was drafted. I feel like I understood what this journey was going to take. There’s highs and lows that come with a young quarterback. I just feel like this was part of some of his adversity. This is part of his story. This is part of his journey. I lot of great players have had to go through similar types of adversity.’’
Franklin had an up-close view of the adversity. Richardson no longer was the starter following the week 8 loss at Houston, but still was in the locker room and meetings and on the practice field every day.
“I don’t think it was easy for him,’’ he said. “Sometimes you gotta kinda grow and learn from things in real-time. I think he took it in stride. A couple of weeks ago, that was a tough day for him. That Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday was a tough (time). The whole world turned their back on him. Everybody was kicking him while he was down. But I think it was guys in this locker room that even when it was at his darkest point, kept telling him that ,‘Look, we still believe in you. We’ve still got your back and we’re going to be with you when you come out the other side of that.’ Now, we’re on the other side of that, so let’s rock with each other and keep going.’’
And one more from Franklin.
“I mean look, he’s the one,’’ he said. “He’s the guy that we’ve got to lean on. He’s the guy that’s going to be the future of this organization. So, with 5 out there, we’ve got a chance.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.