Anthony Richardson hasn't had sustained success in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, but that doesn't mean he lacks confidence. All professional athletes need to believe in themselves. Sometimes, that feeling overcomes logic, though.
Richardson, after being benched for Daniel Jones to start the season, could have gone down the path of many previous players and said negative things about his status on the team and the organization as a whole. He could have tried to force his way out of Indianapolis. He hasn't.
Instead, Richardson has continued to practice hard and has come in during mop-up duty of a couple of blowouts. He has only played 14 snaps this season and has only thrown two passes. One was completed for nine yards. He's run four times for negative one yard.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to say all the right words
In other words, he hasn't contributed anything to the Colts' hot start to the season. Led by Daniel Jones and the offense, Indy is 4-1 and tied for the lead in the AFC South. Had Richardson been named the quarterback, there is zero evidence that Indianapolis would be as good.
Still, Richardson is only 23 years old and could have a long career ahead of him. He won't if he doesn't get a chance to play, though, and he isn't going to have that chance with the Colts for the foreseeable future. Jones is a free agent after this season, but Indianapolis must try to re-sign him.
Meanwhile, Richardson will enter the final year of his rookie deal in 2026, and the team shouldn't pick up his fifth-year option as he was a first-round draft pick in 2023. The quarterback apparently would not mind sticking around Indianapolis, however, as he feels appreciated, especially by fans.
According to Akeem Glaspie of the Journal and Courier, Richardson said, "I already know Indy loves me. They give me all the support and love that I need. I love being here. I love going out there and hearing them cheer for me. It makes me feel good; it lets me know that I'm doing something right so I can keep working hard and keep going."
That is a lot of mentions of "love," of course, and maybe Anthony Richardson is being a bit too effusive in his praise of the city and fans. Or maybe he simply understands how lucky he is to be playing a game for a living, and not having to play in places such as New York, which would be much harsher in their criticism of him.
Plus, it cannot be ruled out that Richardson still has a part to play in the Indianapolis Colts' success this season. If anything happens to Daniel Jones (hopefully not), then AR5 is the guy again. He needs to be ready.