To say that the Anthony Richardson experiment hasn't gone according to plan would be an understatement. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and he's been underwhelming, to say the least.
The 2025 season could very well be Richardson's last chance to prove himself to the organization that drafted him. The third year is typically the last chance for any first-round quarterback on a rookie deal to show he's worth investing in for the future and it's time for the former Florida product to step up if he wants a big payday and lengthy contract extension from the Colts.
The good news is that it does appear that Richardson is aware of his shortcomings and that it's time to flip the script and start playing to the level he was expected. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN attended Colts training camp last week and included a key quote from Richardson in his latest write-up that will have Colts fans maybe allowing themselves to believe in their quarterback a bit more.
"I didn't do enough [last year]," he said of his benching. "That was the big thing for me. I wanted to take a deeper dive on myself and what I needed to improve on. I told myself, 'I can't be slacking anymore. I've got to lock in.'"
Latest quotes from Colts camp show Anthony Richardson has truly changed
Richardson had an incredibly turbulent year in 2024, from getting injured to then taking himself out of the game because he was tired and also getting benched. Colts fans definitely started to give up on the former first-rounder and he didn't give them any reasons not to.
To see Richardson taking accountability is a huge step in the right direction. Some young quarterbacks don't take accountability and assume everyone else is the problem so to see Richardson, who just turned 23 years old this offseason, own up to his faults from his sophomore season is a big step in the right direction.
Maybe Richardson doesn't end up looking like the franchise quarterback the Colts were hoping he'd be but he's saying all of the right things so far at training camp. Let's hope those quotes end up aging well in the coming months.