As expected, the Indianapolis Colts and Anthony Richardson are heading in different directions. Signing Daniel Jones in free agency looked like the beginning of the end for the former No. 4 pick, and he's finally requested a trade.
Richardson was always a project. He barely played in college, and there were major questions about his accuracy -- or lack thereof. His physical traits, however, were otherworldly enough to ignore all the red flags.
Still, there was only so much any team could take. And even though his trade request happened just now, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. As Colts insider James Boyd of The Athletic reported, it all started when he tapped out of a game.
Anthony Richardson's infamous tap out sealed his fate with the Indianapolis Colts
"But aside from the team’s underwhelming offense, the moment that has largely defined Richardson’s tenure in Indianapolis was when he tapped out of a game against the Houston Texans because he was 'tired.' That was a cardinal sin and damn near unforgivable," wrote Boyd.
Granted, Richardson had put his body on the line in the previous play, shaking off a defensive tackle to avoid a loss of yards. That said, it may have been the first time in NFL history that a player has voluntarily tapped himself out of a game because he was tired.
He got back on the field after just one play, but the damage was already done. Fans, coaches, and even teammates may have lost respect for him at the time, and there was simply no way they were going to take him seriously or leave it all on the field for him when he wasn't willing to do the same.
Of course, young players make mistakes. He should've phrased it better or maybe even pretended to be hurt. The Colts also definitely messed up by throwing him into the fire when he was clearly a year or two away from being ready.
None of that matters. Once the team loses confidence in a player, there's no going back. The Colts' lack of trust in Richardson was palpable, and he didn't do much to appease those concerns with his play or demeanor.
Teams should be willing to run through a brick wall for their quarterbacks. They're supposed to be leaders of men and faces of a franchise. Even when they struggle, everybody else usually has their backs and is willing to live and die by them. Once that's gone, there's no way to get it back.
Richardson is still young, and multiple teams should be intrigued by his athleticism and physical tools. For the Colts, however, he'll go down in infamy as the quarterback who gave up on his team midway through a drive.