Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had a tough year in 2024. He started his rookie season in 2023 looking promising, before being sidelined early on with an injury, and then seemingly regressed in 2024. He now has just one more shot to prove that he can be a franchise QB, and at least one member of the Colts still has faith in him.
Michael Pittman, Jr. is one of the best wide receivers in Colts history, and notably played through 2024 with a fractured back. In a recent interivew with WISH-TV's Anthony Calhoun, he showed that despite everything, he still believes in in Richardson... and even had a little criticism for how harsh the media was treating him.
I connected with Michael Pittman Jr. at #SuperBowlLIX. We talked #Colts and QB Anthony Richardson.
— Anthony Calhoun 📺 (@ACwishtv) February 4, 2025
I've interviewed MPJ many times but this felt different regarding his support towards AR and how much he believes in his QB.
"At times I felt like everybody was throwing shots at… pic.twitter.com/C8diEm85qp
"AR, I feel like is taking the right steps, like just like he's working with people that he thinks are gonna help him get to that next level," he said. "And you know, like everything that happened throughout the season, I mean, I felt like he handled everything great, right? Because at times it felt like everybody was throwing shots at him. He's such a young guy, but the way that he handled that with his professionalism, how he showed up every single day, he didn't sulk, and he showed up, and worked and those are the kind of things that keep me hopeful for him that I think we're going to see improvement in him. Because one, he's just... he wants to be that guy that he knows that he can be. And that guy that all of us know that he can be."
This isn't the first time members of the Indianapolis team have spoken out in Richardson's defense; Zaire Franklin notoriously started a feud over Colts alum Pat McAfee over him.
Yes, Richardson was benched and had accuracy issues. But he's also the youngest quarterback in the NFL, and he has shown signs that the potential is there. The question is whether he can turn that potential into talent quickly enough for the Colts. He's already begun practicing in the offseason and set in place a plan to work with the biometric specialist responsible for Josh Allen's incredible improvement after a dismal start in the NFL. It's still too early to call it quits on AR, and for now at least, it's clear that most of his teammates are still behind him.