For Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, the news has seemed mostly grim. He has struggled in his first two seasons with the Colts, and during what is likely his last shot at keeping his QB1 spot, his old shoulder injury flared up again - leaving his competition, Daniel Jones, to get all the reps in pre-training camp practices.
There is still some chance that Richardson could stun the team this week and end up winning the league's most talked about quarterback competition, but the chances seem to significantly lower than they were earlier this year. But that doesn't mean the owners of the team have given up on him.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon has taken over from her late father, Jim Irsay, as CEO, while sharing joint ownership with her sisters. And in a new interview with Colts' reporter JJ Stankevitz, she shared her vision for the team's future - which, for now, still includes Richardson.
"He still has time to prove it"
Irsay-Gordon doesn't yet seem willing to throw in the towel on Richardson, saying she remains hopeful for his future in Indianapolis, despite his struggles so far. "Where he is in his career and in his deal as a rookie, we still have time," she said. "He still has time to prove it."
Yet that doesn't mean it's all good news; she, along with head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, clearly thinks competition will bring out the best in him, saying, "Bring a sense of urgency. And nothing brings a sense of urgency more than competition."
"We believe in him"
This is not the first time Irsay-Gordon has expressed faith in Richardson still having a future in Indianapolis. Shortly after he suffered his shoulder injury this summer, she publicly vouched for him in front of reporters.
“We drafted Anthony for a reason, and we believe in him,” she said. “He’s incredibly talented, and sometimes when you draft players, they have rough starts, they have injuries, they’ve got those things that they need to go through. But I think it’s way too early to tell... I think he’s — he has all the potential in the world, and if he wants to prove it, he can. And he will, if he wants to.”
There hasn't been much positive news for Richardson, but knowing the owner is still rooting for him has got to make him feel a little more optimistic heading into training camp.