“People ask this, too… ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’ And I think like, ‘Shoot, are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers? That’s one of Anthony’s strengths,” Steichen said. “We are not going to get away from that.”
WESTFIELD – As dozens of players appeared from the blue trail to the practice fields on Thursday morning at Grand Park Sports Campus, a stampede of fans assembled in the grandstands began to applaud the official start of Indianapolis Colts 2024 training camp.
Five has arrived. pic.twitter.com/ROytxUk521
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) July 25, 2024
The first 11-on-11 session was focused inside the red-zone and Colts second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson completed all four pass attempts to each of his starting receivers. Richardson showcased a glimpse of his abilities as he kept the read option on the first play from scrimmage. This specific play may have seemed as a short gain to the audience as defenders purposefully avoided making contact with the franchise quarterback, but the read option will ultimately become one of the most vital play calls for the Colts offense to succeed this season.
Richardson operated an immaculate run-pass-option against the Colts starting defense. He whipped a pass to receiver Josh Downs on the far side of the gridiron for a first down, then rifled a throw over 20 yards across the goal line to receiver Alec Pierce for a touchdown. Richardson continued to thrive when running play action from short distance and found tight end Kylen Granson in the flat for another score.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen explained his philosophy toward the shorter sessions is to “practice with tempo” so his players can maximize each rep. Steichen later compared the logic of limiting Richardson’s running abilities to limiting the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history from shooting threes.
“People ask this, too… ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’ And I kind of think like, ‘Shoot, are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers? That is one of Anthony’s strengths,” Steichen said. “We are not going to get away from that.”
#Colts HC Shane Steichen:
“People ask this, too … ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’ And I kind of think like, ‘Shoot, are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers. Well, that’s one of Anthony (Richardson’s) strengths. We’re not gonna get away from that” pic.twitter.com/CmvJu6gxuR
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 25, 2024
The initial song played on the speakers as players stretched during warmups was “Villian”, written by Richardson under the moniker Big Vo. Indianapolis’ dual-threat QB still appears to be the fastest player on any field he steps foot on. At 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, Richardson’s superpowers include superhuman speed with a surgically repaired cannon of an arm. There has been no sign of either being drastically hindered from the shoulder injury which cost him his rookie season.
There are just two rookies younger than Richardson, second round draft pick Adonai Mitchell and third round draft pick Tanner Bortolini. Richardson is the third-youngest player on the Colts training camp roster and faces split-second decisions, which may have long lasting effects on his career. When Richardson commands the offense, he will decide when to handoff the football or keep it himself. Within a blink of an eye, he will have to choose to slide to avoid contact or fight through contact for extra yards. Richardson played 173 snaps in 2023, but will conduct a full training camp with no restrictions to get conditioned for his second NFL campaign.
The Colts return to Grand Park for the second training camp practice on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m.