When the Indianapolis Colts drafted Anthony Richardson at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft, the football world salivated at the thought of the most athletic quarterback prospect in history pairing with one of the best running backs in the game, Jonathan Taylor.
Richardson and Taylor would give the Colts one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in the NFL. Defenders would be caught in a complex, guessing whether to converge on Taylor or wait to see if Richardson kept the football. These two would help lead the Colts to contenders in the AFC and hopefully lead to Super Bowl championships.
Unfortunately for the Colts, the Richardson-Taylor era has gotten off to a rocky start. Injuries have limited the time each has played with one another, and with Richardson's latest benching for Joe Flacco, it was fair to wonder how much these two would continue to play with one another.
However, the pairing of Richardson and Taylor has not reached its conclusion. Richardson was re-named the starting quarterback by Shane Steichen on Wednesday after a two-week hiatus. The 22-year-old signal-caller was sent to the bench due to a lack of attention to detail and preparation throughout the week. The Colts decision-makers wanted Richardson to reevaluate his approach in the week leading up to the game before allowing him back on the field.
Richardson took the message to heart and has made great strides in his attention to detail and preparation. The difference in Richardson has been noticeable to Taylor and his Colts teammates.
“Really been locked in, really been focused," Taylor explained about Richardson. "I mean he was before, but you know when someone just has a little edge to him, just making sure every single last detail, every single thing that they're doing is with a purpose. So, I think you could just see that, you could feel that from him throughout these past few weeks."
The quarterback position is so unique in that the level of preparation required each week is unrivaled. While other position groups are preparing for their opponent as well, the quarterback needs to master the entire game plan, including what every offensive position is doing on each play, the protection calls, checks at the line of scrimmage, and more.
It can be a lot to grasp and learn, especially for a young, inexperienced player like Richardson. Taylor thinks Richardson is handling it well and continuing to grow professionally.
"There are certain things that we do as running backs or certain things that defensive linemen, o-linemen do throughout the course of their careers that a quarterback will never know," Taylor admitted. "But there are a ton of things that we’ll never know, the sacrifices a QB has to make, the time, dedication.
"So, I just know that's a different beast and to come in that young and to have to just to learn that, I know it's tough. I don't know if I'd be able to do it, but I just think he's handled it. He's handled it the best that he could because it's a tough situation, but he's up for it. He has that mentality."
Just because Richardson is young and inexperienced does not mean he should be held to a different standard in his preparation. The Colts coaches and leaders never lost faith in Richardson and his abilities, but they needed to see more. They needed to see that the quarterback was all-in, putting in the work throughout the week and going above and beyond what was required.
The preparation and sacrifice required from a franchise quarterback is why they are the highest-paid position group in football. It is why quarterbacks receive too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses. It all comes with the territory.
Richardson was held accountable by the team, and it seems to have been the wake-up call he needed. The quarterback has expressed gratitude for the experience and how glad he is to have gone through this process. While Richardson is still a work in progress, Taylor and the rest of the Colts' captains believe he now knows what is expected of him and will only continue to grow.
“You always want to hold guys accountable, especially one of the leaders," Taylor said. "But like I said, that's some territory that's really uncharted for a lot of us. I mean he's not even a rookie anymore, but just a young NFL quarterback coming in with not a lot of experience – just trying to learn that along the way.
"A lot of guys usually come in and learn, ‘Oh, let me ask the vets for routines for my body and take care of my body.’ Little things like that, but to prepare and how to learn how to become an NFL franchise quarterback, yeah that's a tough task. Only the strong survive and he's a strong, young man.”
With Richardson back in the lineup with Taylor, the duo can return to making life difficult for opposing defenses. Taylor has been much better this season when Richardson has been on the field, averaging almost a full yard more per carry and scoring all five of his touchdowns. And with the Colts going up against a porous Jets run defense on Sunday, Taylor could be in line for a big day.
But when you ask the Colts' running back about the pairing being back together, Taylor only wants to talk about Richardson getting another opportunity. Taylor is glad his quarterback is getting another crack at it, and he is ready to do what he can to ensure they are successful.
"I'm just excited. I'm excited for (Richardson) because he has a chance to have another opportunity," Taylor remarked. "These chances are few and far to come by in this league, so I'm excited that he has another chance to go out there and display his talent for the world.”
The Colts hope this is the only chance Richardson will ever need and the AR-JT pairing can finally reach its full potential.
