It will help but other conerns linger.
The Indianapolis Colts are looking to get their quarterback the help he needs going into the 2025 season. Anthony Richardson will be working with Chris Hess who uses biometrics to help athletes improve their abilities and reach their maximum potential. Richardson certainly needs to improve statistically. His accuracy was a focal point of most broadcasts, and the good news is that it should only go up. Working with someone like Hess can only help. The question I have is whether it will be enough for Richardson to take the leap he needs to in year three.
Throwing motion, accuracy, etc. are all vitally important for any NFL quarterback. Stampede Blue’s own, Noah Compton, broke it down showing some of the similarities between Richardson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen who also worked with Hess. His analysis shows that a statistical leap for Richardson is certainly a reality after working with the biometric guro. I don’t doubt this aspect. I doubt Richardson’s ability to stay healthy enough to put those lessons into play. His first year was a disaster, but it could be chalked up to bad luck. Missing the vast majority of the season with a concussion and shoulder injury was concerning but not alarming because injuries happen to the best of them. Fast-forward to year two and we saw Richardson miss even more time. Exiting early in the Steelers game, he was knocked out of action for the next two. He was then unable to complete the season, missing the final two. The track record regarding injuries has now entered concerning territory. If he can’t stay healthy, it won’t matter how well he can throw a football.
The concerns don’t stop there. Richardson was benched midway through the year. While it was kept close to the vest by the team, reports are there were concerns about Richardson’s maturity and commitment to excellence. Whether quarterbacks want to be or not, they are generally looked to as leaders on the team. Having one benched for these reasons is a bad look. The positive is that Richardson seemed to respond well to the benching, and the Colts were willing to give him another chance. Perhaps, if he can fix his mechanics it will lead to wins, and winning tends to fix a lot of things. Without those wins, however, we could see more maturity issues from the young player.
It is good to hear that Anthony Richardson will be working to improve this offseason in a similar manner to a player he is compared to a lot. Josh Allen had his own issues on the field but was able to turn it around and is now playing in the AFC Championship. He has turned into one of the best in the game. If Ricahrdson can tweak his game and make those improvements, I thoroughly expect a leap. He just has to stay on the field and lean into his leadership role. Put it all together and we could see something special.