The Indianapolis Colts might just be handing the keys to their young quarterback, finally…
Following the benching of 22-year-old quarterback Anthony Richardson, the Colts were under the microscope from an organizational standpoint. They continued to play Joe Flacco, who they were convinced was better to help the team win, though that didn’t seem to be the case with their results.
As the youngest quarterback in the NFL, and younger than many college football quarterbacks, there are going to be growing pains with Richardson under center. However, many have praised the young signal-caller, citing the potential he has in the league.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was the most recent across the scene to be complimentary of the young quarterback.
Campbell shares unique praise for Richardson
The Colts are fresh off a win. They took down the New York Jets with a game-winning drive, led by Richardson. They next host a very, very good Lions team.
Detroit is 9-1 on the season, and Campbell has done an incredible job at building a winning culture within the franchise. Ahead of the two squads matching up, the Lions head coach shared some high, unique praise of Richardson.
“I feel like they’ve taken the handcuffs off of him, and allowed him to just go,” Campbell said. “It’s rare. His strength, his ability to run, and he really does have a nice deep ball, he’s an accurate passer down the field. … [He’s] dangerous.”
Coming out of Florida, Richardson didn’t have a ton of on-field, game experience. However, he is a 6-foot-4, 244-pound signal-caller. He’s got a great ball as a passer, can run the ball and is dominant player. Playing a free style of play will allow Richardson to win games in many different ways.
It’s unique for a head coach like Campbell to be so, so complimentary of an opposing quarterback just ahead of a matchup. But, in all fairness, Richardson can do a little bit of everything, which makes him such an intriguing potential franchise quarterback.
The Colts could be turning the corner with Richardson
Against the Jets, in his most recent outing, Richardson completed 20 of his 30 passes for 272 passing yards and one touchdown. It doesn’t stop there, though. He rushed the ball 10 times for 32 yards, finding the end zone on two occasions.
Still, it doesn’t stop there. Richardson had that level of performance with the game on the line. He came away with a big victory, throwing for 129 fourth-quarter yards and scoring two all-purpose touchdowns (one passing, one rushing).
Maybe Shane Steichen benching the 22-year-old was the best thing that could have happened in his young career. Maybe it’ll be what helps him turn a corner in his development. Now he knows people are watching, and they see every little thing that he does.
If Richardson can tap into some of the unlimited potential that he holds as a quarterback, the Colts will be set under center long-term and can shift their focus to building a team around him to become contenders down the road.
